Overpass Coming To Tyler: Traffic Relief On The Way

For years Tyler residents have been begging and pleading for certain things to come to town. Things like an H-E-B grocery store, In-N-Out Burger, a Costco or Trader Joe's, Dave & Busters and other family fun activity centers.

Finally, Tyler will be getting a Dave & Busters, but there's still one more thing many Tyler residents, like myself, are hoping for...and that's overpasses.

Yes, overpasses.

With so many state highways, US highways, and loops running through Tyler, why aren't there any overpasses?

Anyone who drives in Tyler for any distance or length of time will tell you that traffic is awful and there are too many traffic lights and no overpasses to bypass busy intersections.

Look at Lufkin and Texarkana, cities smaller than Tyler, they have overpasses. Even Bullard, Texas, and the Hwy 69 and FM 346 interchange in Smith County have an overpass now.

Thanks to future construction, one Tyler intersection will soon have an overpass

TXDOT has plans to construct an overpass at Old Jacksonville Hwy. (FM 2493) and Grande Blvd. (Hwy. 57) once the expansion of Old Jacksonville gets underway.

TXDOT Tyler District spokesperson Jeff Williford said 'funding has been secured for the overpass and plans have been drawn up, next they’ll allow contractors to bid on the construction and maintenance contracts, which is known as the “letting process."' (CBS19)

While the funding has been secured, the project is still a few years away. The expansion of FM 2493 isn't expected to begin until sometime in 2028.

Until then, it's life as we know it around Tyler. Stop-and-go traffic thanks to all the traffic lights.  There will be growing pains during the construction, but it will be well worth it when its finally completed.

In addition to the widening of Old Jacksonville Hwy., Jeff Williford said there are several road projects in the works for Tyler. TXDOT is working on plans to widen

• FM 756 (Paluxy Dr.)
• FM 2964 (Rhones Quarter Rd.)
• FM 346
• a southern portion of S. Broadway Ave.

All of these projects are in the planning stages and are several years away from the beginning.

With the upcoming expansion project for Old Jacksonville Hwy., I just wish TXDOT would have included plans for an overpass at Loop 323 and Old Jacksonville. I can only imagine what it's going to be like turning westbound on the loop from Old Jacksonville once the project is complete.