TxDOT's $424 million Interstate 20 Widening Project in West Texas involves bridge replacements and roadwork to enhance safety and reduce congestion. Segment 2 and 3 started in 2024, with the full project set to finish in 2028. The project includes lane additions, interchange construction, and converting frontage roads to improve traffic flow.
Texas Department of Transportation photo
Nighttime concrete pours have commonly occurred during the Interstate 20 widening project in Ector and Midland counties.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is investing $424 million into its Interstate 20 Widening Project that covers several miles in Ector and Midland counties, deep in the heart of the oil-rich Permian Basin in West Texas.
James Construction was awarded the $36.3 million Midkiff Bridge project, and F & F Construction won the $68.5 million Cotton Flat Bridge project. The Midkiff Bridge was delivered last March, and the Cotton Flat Bridge is nearly complete, with delivery expected in the fall.
Pulice Construction was awarded a $59.1 million contract for roadwork by a overpass of I-20 at CR 1250. This element is substantially complete.
Sundt Construction received a $237.9 million contract for the widening of I-20, which is ongoing.
The goal is to enhance operation and safety, reduce traffic congestion and improve roadway connectivity along the I-20 corridor.
Texas Department of Transportation photo
Construction of the two-segment initiative in the Midland/Odessa area began in May 2024. The entire project is anticipated to be fully open to traffic in 2028.
Segment 2 covers 5 mi. of I-20 from east of the JBS Parkway to east of County Road 1300, and Segment 3 runs from I-20 east of CR 1300 to east of County Road 1250. Work on Segment 3 started in July of 2024.
The project is adding one main lane on either side of I-20, which has two lanes in each direction, with an exterior shoulder; constructing new I-20 interchanges with Faudree Road, CR 1300 and County Road 1260; reconfiguring ramps; and converting frontage roads from two-way to one-way operation.
"[The] Midkiff and Cotton Flat bridge [replacements] were necessary to eliminate bridge strikes that had been occurring due to IH 20 passing underneath local traffic," said Maryann R. Cedillo, a TxDOT public information officer. "The new overpasses moved interstate traffic over the top and local traffic underneath providing a safer more efficient roadway."
TxDOT is converting frontage roads in the corridor from a two-way operation to a one-way operation.
"[This] reduces serious head-on collisions and other crashes and eliminates conflict points with oncoming traffic for those entering and exiting the main lanes," Cedillo said. "[It] improves safety for those accessing businesses on the frontage roads, safety at entrance and exit ramps and intersection safety and efficiency; reduces wrong-way entry to main lanes and congestion on frontage roads and at intersections; increases capacity of the frontage roads; and meets driver expectations by bringing consistency to local frontage roads."
The project was designed by LJA Engineering (Project 3c), Stantec Consulting Services Inc. (Project 3d), and Entech Civil Engineers Inc. (Project 3b)
The concrete overpass bridges have three spans supported by two rows of concrete columns with caps and piers.
The work is having an impact on traffic and has resulted in disruptive construction activity, including lane closures, major lane shifts, detours and other impacts.
Texas Department of Transportation photo
The bridge work had crews from James Construction and F&F putting in day and night shifts.
"The work [on the bridges] has been fast paced," said Cedillo, who noted that there were no utility conflicts
The old bridges were demolished at night.
"The Midkiff demolition waited until the end of the school year 2023 before demolition began," Cedillo said. "[The demolition operations occurred] overnight to alleviate traffic impacts."
For the construction of both bridges, TxDOT designed the projects to maintain two lanes of traffic in each direction.
"During construction," said Cedillo, "main lane IH 20 was detoured to the outside to allow the contractor to focus on constructing the bridges and the three lanes in each direction. While work occurred simultaneously, they started at different times."
Operations for the CR 1250 bridge began in July 2024, Midkiff Bridge in August 2021 and the Cotton Flat Bridge in August 2022.
Drill shafts were required for the overpass bridges. Crews also placed concrete columns and piers and caps to support the spans.
"Concrete beams were placed overnight by a crane, and several individuals in harnesses helped with the placement," Cedillo said
The placing of the concrete panels to establish the bottom of the decks, as well as the concrete pours, were performed at night.
The bridge work involves the use cranes, drill rigs, excavators, loaders and other pieces of iron.
Pulice Construction and Sundt Construction, which is responsible for the road work, have crews widening main lanes, widening frontage roads and converting them to one-way and installing illumination, infrastructure and building pedestrian walkways, Cedillo said.
Equipment operators are using excavators, dozers, pavers, rollers, skid steers, loaders and other pieces of machinery during construction.
Crews working on the bridges and the roads have ample space to maneuver their equipment, store materials and set up field offices.
The bridge and road work operations require numerous personnel from the general contractors and the many local and regional subcontractors brought on board, Cedillo said.
The amounts of materials generated by excavation and demolition operations, as well as new materials brought in, aren't finalized. CEG
(All photos courtesy of Texas Department of Transportation.)
Irwin Rapoport
A journalist who started his career at a weekly community newspaper, Irwin Rapoport has written about construction and architecture for more than 15 years, as well as a variety of other subjects, such as recycling, environmental issues, business supply chains, property development, pulp and paper, agriculture, solar power and energy, and education. Getting the story right and illustrating the hard work and professionalism that goes into completing road, bridge, and building projects is important to him. A key element of his construction articles is to provide readers with an opportunity to see how general contractors and departments of transportation complete their projects and address challenges so that lessons learned can be shared with a wider audience.
Rapoport has a BA in History and a Minor in Political Science from Concordia University. His hobbies include hiking, birding, cycling, reading, going to concerts and plays, hanging out with friends and family, and architecture. He is keen to one day write an MA thesis on military and economic planning by the Great Powers prior to the start of the First World War.
Read more from Irwin Rapoport here.
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