Unfinished TxDOT project continues to cause issues for Lubbock County residents

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - An overdue road project in south Lubbock County is becoming more of a headache for residents as time goes on.

Construction crews have abandoned the site, leaving it at a standstill for months.

Construction on the overpass near FM 41 and Hwy. 87 started back in Oct. 2021.

That work came to a screeching halt after the company Allen Butler Construction failed to finish the job, leaving residents with a constant obstacle, and the state with a search for someone to take over.

Precinct 2 County Commissioner Jason Corley says that obligation falls fully on the shoulders of the stated, not the county.

“From my understanding, the bonding company will be responsible for doing that,” Corley said. “So, I think they’re going to be out looking for a new contractor and probably taking bids on that.”

That process could take up to six months, according to Corley, pushing the project far off the expected completion date of Oct. 2024 with no new date in sight.

“‘25, ‘26, I don’t know, like I said good question for TxDOT,” Corley said.

KCBD reached out to TxDOT to ask when the construction will start again.

“The Department is working within the contract framework to secure another contractor to resume work and complete the project,” a spokesperson with TxDOT stated. “We do not have a timeline as to when work will resume, and we do not know who will be contracted to complete the work.”

The headache was made worse by storms passing through the area, flooding the work site and leaving some drivers forced to abandon their vehicles.

“All this rain came in just a few hours so the whole areas fully saturated right now,” Corley said. “So where we’ve got water, just warning people to be careful and watch out when you’re driving. Those road conditions can change overnight especially when you’ve got flooding like this.”

While that flooding should subside in the coming days, the incomplete overpass will remain for the foreseeable future.

This leaves residents to find alternative routes or deal with a construction zone stuck at a standstill.

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