East Texas

The Texas Department of Transportation is shifting its focus from evacuation assistance to maintenance in preparation for predicted high winds and heavy rain in the next 48 to 72 hours.

TxDOT maintenance forces are reporting low northbound traffic volumes along U.S. Highways 69, 259 and 287 evacuation routes in the Tyler District, as well as normal traffic volumes on westbound Interstate 20.

TxDOT crews will be on 24-hour standby to remove debris and close roads due to high water should the need arise.

TxDOT has closed its Comfort Station on westbound Interstate 20 in Van Zandt County due to a lack of evacuation traffic. The rest stop remains open for normal operation, but is not manned by TxDOT personnel.

TxDOT manned the station 24 hours per day between 7 a.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Monday.

Maintenance forces provided additional restroom facilities, handed out more than 100 cases of bottled water, provided travel maps, helped change flat tires and provided driving directions to motorists evacuating Louisiana while the Comfort Station was open.

TxDOT used the same rest stop in 2005 to provide a Comfort Station for Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

Maintenance crews have also stopped manning the I-20/Texas Highway 31 route alternative posted Friday night to help alleviate westbound evacuation traffic, but detour signs are still in place to mark the route along South Loop 281 and southbound Texas 31.

Crews had been manually operating the traffic signals at South Loop 281 and Texas 31, as well as providing traffic control at the intersection of Farm-to-Market Road 2087 and South Loop 281 as part of the alternate route plan.

"This was an effective alternative for westbound I-20 traffic," said TxDOT public information officer Larry Krantz. "Not everyone took it, but enough did to relieve the potential heavy congestion caused by traffic merging to one lane."

The route, provided as an alternative for traffic forced to merge for the bridge project at I-20 and Texas 31, exits traffic at the Loop 281/Estes Parkway exit, and then returns traffic to the interstate at Texas 31.

The lane closure was necessary because part of the overpass bridge decking has been removed for repairs.