Loop 49 Toll Road, New Segment Opened 11/8/2018

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The new segment of Loop 49 Toll Road from I-20 to US-69 north of Lindale, TX opened to traffic today.  The official grand opening will be December 4th.

http://www.kltv.com/2018/11/08/years-later-lindale-relief-route-opens/

By Brenna Burger | November 7, 2018 at 10:39 PM CST - Updated November 7 at 10:39 PM
SMITH COUNTY, TX (KLTV) - 2 years and millions of dollars later, the new addition to Toll 49 is officially open for business.

33,000 vehicles pass through Toll 49 every day. And with the new addition of the Lindale relief route, NET RMA is hoping to welcome close to 40,000 drivers a day.

"To go, if you will from the intersection with US-69 and then go all the Whitehouse south of Tyler, and stay on one road,"  NET RMA Executive Director Chris Miller says.

$126,000,000 built 50,000 tons of asphalt, almost as much as the Titanic weighs.

The section of Toll 49 is 6.7 miles long, with two lanes undivided. The new stretch will cut at least 10 to 15 minutes out of a Lindale drivers time when traveling to the interstate.

"If you have been off of it and irritated about the fact that you have been slowed because of construction and things like that, it's clear, everything is good,"  Miller says.

Now the toll totals to roughly 33 miles long. And with the addition of the relief route came several safety improvements. "We have passing lanes throughout all segments of the road which I think is a very important feature for any road,"  Miller says.

Miller says after more signage was posted and passing lanes were added, the number of wrecks decreased. "We made the road wider, but we need to make sure drivers get off the cell phones, by all means, don't ever drink or drive with some kind of drug or impairment,"  Miller says.

The official grand opening of the Lindale relief route will be held December 4 with a ribbon cutting event. But drivers can drive on it, starting today.

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