ODESSA, Texas — Heads up for Odessa drivers: starting on Tuesday, a major construction will severely limit access to East Yukon Road as the overpass project on East Loop 338 at East Yukon Road takes the next step in construction.
Here's what drivers need to know:
- People traveling southbound on Loop 338 will not be able to turn east onto Yukon.
- Those going northbound on the loop won't be able to turn west onto Yukon.
- There will also be no way to cross Loop 338 from one part of Yukon to the other.
NewsWest 9 spoke with Gene Powell, Public Information Officer for TxDOT Odessa District. He said this step is an essential part of the overall project.
"We are in the midst of building an overpass and we are in a point where we need to move traffic over," said Powell. "We are doing something a little bit different to build the new phase of the construction so we will be separating the cross over."
Powell said alternative roads are going to be necessary for people as daily commuters.
"Find an alternative route, please," said Powell. "Go down to 191, 52nd to 56th. There is just no way for us to allow traffic through that cross over while we built the bridge."
Powell told NewsWest 9 that construction zones are one of the places where people let their guard down.
"We encourage people to slow down and leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you," said Powell. "Rear ending is one of the most frequent causes of crashes in work zones."
Overall, Powell encourages drivers to plan ahead and remain calm. This construction is expected to be done around mid-2023.
"Be alert stay and off your phone," said Powell. "Slow down and give us room to work. This is going to be with us for a while so be patient."