Students and faculty who commute to South Plains College’s Reese Center and Levelland campuses should be aware of construction beginning on a seven mile stretch of Texas Highway 114.

This area will have new housing going up in the near future, along with three new schools. Current road conditions have contributed to 15 deaths during the past two years. The construction which begun April 4,  will be from Milwaukee Avenue in Lubbock to the Hockley County line, taking two years to complete. The Texas Department of Transportation and Granite Construction Company recently held a town hall meeting at Reese Center to answer concerns from business owners and citizens living along the affected area.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation the project will be completed in five phases, with two areas of roadway being completed in each phase. The first phase will contain two areas of improvement, actually phase 1a and 1b. The stretch between Milwaukee Avenue and approximately where Hanes Meat Market is located on West 19^th Street, and from Research Boulevard heading west for approximately one and a half miles, will begin around April 24.

This construction will be on the north side of the roadway, forcing traffic into the east bound lane in these two areas. This phase of the project will take until September to finish, at which time Granite Construction will change over and do the south side of the road, forcing that traffic into the west bound lane. The first phase will be completed in April 2006.

The second phase, phases 2a and 2b, will be started in 2006 and will cover the two stretches of highway between Hanes Meat Market and Research Boulevard and the Hockley County line east approximately one and a half miles. This improvement will be done starting with the north side of the road, and then in September will switch over and cover the south side of the road. Traffic also will be diverted into the oncoming lanes.

The final phase of the project will be to seal coat the ends of the project and re-stripping of the highway. During this part of the project, a traffic light will be added at the entrance to Commander’s Palace to better allow residents of that area safer access to the roadway.

Low areas that are subject to flooding during heavy rains will be given a concrete curb and gutter to better facilitate the removal of the accumulated water. In areas where no curb and gutter are installed, shoulders will be added to the roadway. One of the areas that will receive the concrete curb and gutter system will be the area between Milwaukee Avenue and Alcove Avenue.

The main intersections along this route will be redone with a concrete addition that will temporarily hinder traffic one side at a time. Intersections should be completed within 25 days, or Granite Construction looks at paying $3,500 per day if this is not met. The existing lighting will be taken out and replaced, but additional street lighting is not planned at this time.

Mike Oliver, project manager, said, “If you can access your destination from Fourth Street, use that way to help with traffic.

” During the construction. There will be no left turn lanes, and Oliver added, “We will do everything we can to lessen the impact.”

The other major impact that the road construction will have on traffic is speed. As in all construction areas, the speed limit will be reduced by at least 10 miles per hour, and possibly by as much as 20 miles per hour.

Oliver asked that, “Drivers to be patient with them and allow them to do there job as safely as possible.