A Wider Highway 69 in Cherokee County

WELLS – A groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning signaled the start of the widening of U.S. Highway 69 in southern Cherokee County. The $18.1 million project will widen the highway in the Wells area. The schedule shows the permanent west side construction, and traffic switch to be done by the end of of the year. East side construction of the road is projected to be done by next spring. Till then, you can expect single lane closures and delays during the detour construction. Expanding the road from two to four lanes will help reduce congestion since Highway 69 in Cherokee County serves as a hurricane evacuation route.

The widening of the current two-lane road through Wells will create a four-lane divided curb and gutter section with a continuous left turn lane. The work starts two miles north of Farm Road 1347 and runs south 2.9 miles to the Angelina County Line. The contractor, Longview Bridge and Road of Longview, is currently clearing the right-of-way, installing driveway culverts and safety end treatments on the east side of the roadway throughout the project limits. Work will soon begin to construct a detour to allow for a traffic shift to the east side of the roadway in late spring, early summer.