U.S. 59 project begins Friday

This weekend, all main-lane traffic on U.S. 59 will be diverted to the frontage roads at Sweetwater and First Colony boulevards as the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) demolishes the existing Sweetwater Boulevard bridge and elevates U.S. 59 main lanes over the ground-level cross street.

Doug Adolph, Sugar Land public information manager, said the overall project is expected to take two weeks to complete.

The traffic detour begins Friday evening and continues through Monday morning. During that time, access to the U.S. 59 frontage road will be closed from Sweetwater and First Colony boulevards, and traffic delays will likely be plentiful and lengthy.

Access to the freeway over the weekend will be limited. On First Colony Boulevard, access to U.S. 59 will not be possible south of State Highway 6. Area neighborhoods and businesses will, however, be accessible.

No through traffic to U.S. 59 will be allowed north of Lexington Boulevard. Methodist Sugar Land Hospital will be accessible from the frontage road at all times, and drivers should use State Highway 6 or University Boulevard to enter U.S. 59.

Commercial property along U.S. 59 near Sweetwater and First Colony boulevards will be accessible from the U.S. 59 frontage road. During the remaining two weeks of noisy, on-going construction on the project, said Adolph, existing U.S. 59 main lanes will remain open.

"During this period, traffic from southbound First Colony Boulevard wishing to go north on U.S. 59 must take U.S. 59 southbound to University Boulevard and U-turn onto the northbound frontage road," Adolph said. "Traffic on Sweetwater Boulevard heading south on U.S. 59 will take the frontage road northbound and make a U-turn at State Highway 6."

Messages and detour signs along the roadways will continue to keep motorists informed. Closures and detour information is available by visiting Web site www.sugarlandtx.gov and clicking on the "highway construction" link.

Roadway details are also available on the Sugar Land Highway Hotline at 281-276-9959 or the TxDOT Public Information Hotline at 713-802-5074 24 hours a day; by subscribing to E-news at Web site www.sugarlandtx.gov; or checking for updates on SLTV 16.