Seguin Gazette: Road work on SH 130 completed

Dalondo Moultrie, The Seguin Gazette

Seguin, TX - The county’s fastest highway, which connects Seguin to Austin, is once again open with an 85 mph speed limit and smooth sailing after nearly two years of intermittent slow downs, temporary lane closures and about $90 million spent.

SH 130 Concession Company announced completion of a construction project on portions of the 41-mile southern stretch of State Highway 130 the company operates. The announcement came Tuesday morning in a statement the company released.

“This project was a major undertaking, and we sincerely appreciate the patience of all of our customers while we worked to repair substantial portions of the roadway,” Tyler Duvall, SH 130 Concession Co. CEO, said. “Our team has worked hard to address road conditions and pavement issues to improve the driving experience and overall road safety. We are excited that the road now offers a congestion-free option to all motorists traveling within the corridor or heading down to the beaches on the Gulf Coast.”

About a third of the affected road lies in Guadalupe County, said James Lovett, SH 130 Concession Co. director of public affairs. The stretch from the San Marcos River to Interstate 10 equals about 15 miles of SH 130 in this county, he said.

The work was needed for a couple reasons, Lovett said.

“It was really to repair portions of the roadway to improve the driving experience and overall road safety,” he said. “It was to address some road conditions and pavement issues.”

The road remained open for traffic throughout the project that began Nov. 4, 2017, Lovett said.

The Texas Department of Transportation owns SH 130 and leases sections 5 and 6 — from Mustang Ridge to Seguin — of the toll road to SH 130 Concession. SH 130 Concession operates the stretch immediately south of Austin on a 50-year lease.

TxDOT reviewed and approved the company’s repair and reconstruction plan, the release read. It said the company removed between four and eight feet of material beneath the roadway in severely impacted areas.

The company replaced the material it removed with treated material before repaving the road, the release stated. And the company installed moisture membranes in some spots along the edge of the pavement, the release said.

SH 130 Concession built and financed the roadway, which opened in 2012, according to the company’s website. The highway’s sections 5 and 6 have the highest legal speed limit in the nation, the website said.

Dalondo Moultrie is the assistant managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail him at dalondo.moultrie@seguingazette.com.

You can view the original story at Seguin Gazette by clicking here.