This week on U.S. Highway 82 from Farm-to-Market 1816 moving east, front-end loaders, maintainers, and dump trucks will start clearing the new right of way for the highway expansion project in Montague County.
The district public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation reported front-end loaders, maintainers and dump trucks will start clearing the ROW.
The contractor, Austin Road and Bridge, will be removing fencing, vegetation, and other items next to the eastbound lanes as the project gets started this month. Eleven miles is included in the first phase of widening U.S. 82 from Nocona to Ringgold to a four-lane divided highway.
Ultimately during the next several years, U.S. 82 will be expanded to a four-lane from Nocona to Henrietta.
Phase one runs from State Highway 175 to FM 1816 and west to Milam Road all along Hwy. 82 to just east of Ringgold. Date of completion is March 2023. TxDOT had wanted to start at the edge of Nocona, but due to the large number of utilities in that area they expect to start a little further west on the southside of U.S. 82 along the ROW. Utilities should be done by the end of December.
Little impact is expected on drivers until later in the project.