October 20, 2015 - LUFKIN – The public is being given the opportunity to request a public hearing regarding an upcoming Texas Department of Transportation project on FM 2609/East Austin Street.
TxDOT, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the City of Nacogdoches, is proposing to widen FM 2609/East Austin Street between Raguet Street and North Street in Nacogdoches, consisting of about one-fourth of a mile.
The proposed project would widen the existing two lane roadway to provide two 11-foot travel lanes and two 14-foot shared use lanes to accommodate both vehicles and bicyclists. Six-foot sidewalks will be constructed on both sides of the roadway with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) curb ramps. A traffic signal will also be installed at the intersection of Raguet Street and Austin Street.
The proposed roadway improvement will require increasing the right-of-way width from 60 feet to 80 feet. Increasing the right-of-way width will result in the acquisition of 0.71 acre of additional right-of-way and the displacement of a six-unit apartment building on the northeast corner of FM 2609/East Austin St and North Pecan Street and one business on the northeast corner of North Street and FM 2609/East Austin St.
Relocation assistance is available for displaced persons and businesses. Information about the TxDOT Relocation Assistance Program and the tentative schedules for right-of-way acquisition and construction may be obtained from the TxDOT Lufkin District Office.
Maps showing the design as well as the environmental documentation and studies of the proposed project are on file and available for inspection Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the TxDOT Lufkin District located at 1805 North Timberland Drive, Lufkin, TX 75901; TxDOT Nacogdoches Area Office located at 918 Industrial Boulevard, Nacogdoches, TX 75961 or online at www.txdot.gov on the Public Meetings and Hearings page.
Any interested citizen may request a public hearing for this project. Requests for a public hearing must be submitted in writing on or before November 23, 2015, to the TxDOT District Office, Kelly Morris, P.E., Director of Transportation Planning and Development, 1805 N. Timberland Drive, Lufkin, TX 75901.
The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried-out by TxDOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 16, 2014, and executed by FHWA and TxDOT.
For more information, contact Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or (936) 633-4395.
