File photo
File photo
Harris County construction continues despite widespread restrictions and closures due to COVID-19.
County Judge Lina Hidalgo put in place a Stay At Home order on March 25, 2020. According to the order, road construction classifies as an essential business.
"All of our contractors are still working, as are county inspectors," Jennifer Almonte, a Precinct 3 field engineer, told Community Impact Newspaper. "We are exercising caution, maintaining social distancing wherever possible, and [are] no longer meeting inside our field office."
One of the jobs in development is a $3.2 million dollar road-widening project for Cypress North Houston Road. The road from east of Greenhouse Road to west of Barker Trace Road in Cypress will go from two lanes to four lanes. Currently, crews are finishing up a bridge. After that, signage and stripes will be installed. However, Almonte says there is a potential for it to be delayed due to circumstances.
In the Houston area, work continues on a fly-over bridge to connect Farm to Market Road 1960 to State Highway 6 over U.S. Highway 290. It is on schedule to be up and running by the end of 2020. The Texas Department of Transportation, the state agency managing the project, has put in force health standards, according to Community Impact Newspaper.
Pamela Rocchi, director of capital projects in Precinct 4, said meetings are conducted every two weeks via conference call between the engineer, construction company and the county.
"The majority of Harris County’s engineering staff and engineers of record are working from home on capital improvement projects in the study or design phase," Rocchi said in an email. "The engineering community is able to communicate with the county’s project managers, and the decision making process is not hindered."
Construction continues, and several Cy-Fair projects are awaiting bids, Rochi told Community Impact Newspaper.
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