TxDOT Looks to Make Highway 31 Safer

EAST TEXAS — It’s been nicknamed “Bloody 31,” with residents complaining about the width of Texas Highway 31 and the number of accidents it causes. Now KETK reports TxDOT is considering widening the stretch from Tyler to Kilgore to make it safer and is offering alignment alternatives. The department is considering widening the two-lane highway to four lanes and redesigning the road so it curves and has grades that meet current standards. Vernon Webb, deputy district engineer for the Tyler District, points to some new funding sources that weren’t available four or five years ago. In the last seven years, there have been 32 deaths, and nearly 700 accidents. Webb says you can contact TxDOT to weigh in. It will be 5 years before work begins.