PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Southeast Texans driving in Port Arthur can expect to notice some road closures.
A $70 million construction aiming to improve the cloverleaf interchange at U.S. Route 69 and Texas State Highway 73 began Tuesday. The Texas Department of Transportation hopes the new and improved interchange will be better and safer for everyone.
“It’s currently a cloverleaf design, and we will be transforming it into a turbine design, so there will be several circles kind of going in a swirling almost type motion," Sarah Dupre, TxDOT public information's officer, previously told 12News.
The plan is to add direct connectors, improve frontage roads and ramps, add retaining walls and widen some of the roads.
Drivers described the cloverleaf interchange as confusing, scary and even dangerous at times, with very little room to exit or merge. Area residents believe the issues resulted in crashes.
"I think it's needed,” H.B. Jones, Port Arthur resident, said. “That means the area is going to keep growing. This is one of the places where people come to this area to work, so you're going to have more traffic.”
Since 2016, 450 crashes have taken place at the cloverleaf interchange. Sixty-one of those crashes happened in 2021.
Drivers can expect to start seeing changes soon.
"We're actually closing the two northern quadrants,” Dupre said.
TxDOT officials know the rebuild will be frustrating for some drivers. However, drivers are expected to benefit from the improvements once construction is complete.
“This project is definitely going to improve the safety of that intersection, and it's going to bring it up to current standards, current safety standards, current highway standards,” Dupre said.
Officials said their job is to make sure the roads are safer in the end.
"There's going to be a little bit of confusion at the beginning and getting used to the new detours, so please just make sure that you're paying attention and not distracted, Dupre said. "We want to make sure everyone gets home safely."
While the interchange is under construction, drivers are encouraged to slow down and be aware of the change conditions.
"Obey the speed limit and avoid tailgating, and whenever there are periods of inclement weather, you know, we ask that they slow down,” Dupre said.
TxDOT expects the project to be completed by 2025.