US-259 is closed from FM-71 to FM-561 for up to 18 months. I'm not sure what the scope of work actually is.
The detour is nearly 20 extra miles for heavy traffic and 10 extra on a crooked FM road for light vehicle traffic.
https://localfirstmediagroup.com/texarkana-local-news/potion-of-us-259-in-bowie-county-to-undergo-repair/
I have never seen a rural closure like this before when there was not a bridge removal and replacement.
Since it's close to DeKalb and US 82, I wonder if it'll be similar to what they did to US 82 between DeKalb and New Boston where they replaced everything with concrete. If there are bridges involved, I can see how a full shutdown is needed.
Well, that's weird. I was looking for info on the US 259 job and I found that the very same section of US 82 I mentioned is due for widening to 5 lanes, this time extending it through DeKalb to 259. Letting date is November 2024:
https://www.txdot.gov/projects/projects-studies/atlanta/us82-corridor-bowie-county/us82-us259-i30.html
That section is a narrow 2 lane road with no shoulders and not much traffic. After driving it earlier this year, I can see why they opted for a full shutdown rather than to keep it open to traffic. Seems like that would make the project timeline faster, plus it makes it safer for the workers, and there is redundancy nearby, so what traffic there is in the area shouldn't be inconvenienced too much.
I would like to see some shoulders and maybe a couple passing lanes added. It was a bit unnerving at the 70-75 speed limit when I drove it.
I finally went down it. It is open for local traffic. It looks like an exact rebuild. Cannot see where shoulders are being built.
As an aside, US-82 from New Boston to the Red River County line seems to be in the process of being widened to four lanes. Currently they are realigning the NE Texas Trail (former Cotton Belt RR) farther from the road and doing some utility relocation. They are smoothing out the curve on the west side of downtown Dekalb.
US-259 is reopened. It was rebuilt as it was 2 12' traffic lanes with no / soft shoulders. They rebuilt it all the way to the earth below but the only improvements were replacing curbs and guardrails around bridges and some culverts.
Except for the condition of the road surface, there were no improvements.
You'd think with it being a US highway, they would at least add paved shoulders. But TxDOT has gotten really, really cheap in just the last 15 years. You see it in all the new builds.