LUFKIN, TX — A pre-construction meeting was recently held in the Texas Department of Transportation Lufkin Area Office, signaling the start of a major construction project in Angelina County that will widen a section of US 59 in Redland.

Barricades were set up on US 59 in Redland from FM 2021 to .34 miles north of SL 287 in Lufkin where work is scheduled that will upgrade the roadway to interstate standards and potential future designation as I-69.

Longview Bridge and Road Ltd., Longview, Texas, will serve as contractor for the $62.4-million construction project that is dedicated to improving safety and mobility on US 59. Work will include upgrading existing US 59 by constructing frontage roads that will provide controlled access to northbound and southbound lanes. Access to main lanes will be allowed via entrance and exit ramps.

As the project developed, the Lufkin District held an open house in 2017 and a public hearing in 2018 to gain public input through the design and right-of-way acquisition phases. Construction funding was allocated in the March 2017 Unified Transportation Program. Project completion is set for November 2025, weather permitting.

“This is a long-anticipated project that our designers and engineers have worked tirelessly to prepare for construction,” said Rhonda Oaks, Public Information Officer. “We are proud to see construction begin in this section of US 59, bringing us one step closer to possible interstate designation in the area.”