Feb. 3 event marks substantial completion of Diboll Relief Route
DIBOLL, Texas – Texas Department of Transportation employees, contractors, local and state officials gathered at the Angelina County Airport Tuesday morning to mark the final milestone of a project more than 30 years in the making.
The ceremony celebrated the completion of the Diboll Relief Route, a $141 million project that began in the 1990s with initial studies and the development of schematic and environmental plans.
The 8.2-mile route was revived as an I-69 priority for Angelina County in 2013. Development of the plans, public meetings, the right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation occurred in the ensuing years.
“This project was the biggest of its time in our district when it was opened for bidding back in 2019,” said Lufkin Area Engineer Jesse Sisco. “That was amazing to us, to a lot of folks. That was huge to us.”
For many of the current and former TxDOT employees at Tuesday’s ceremony, the relief route has been a significant part of their careers.
In 2013, Lufkin District Engineer Kelly Morris rejoined TxDOT after several years working in the private sector and just as the project was getting underway again.
“You know, we started our careers on this project, and here we are at the tail end of our careers,” said Lufkin District Engineer Kelly Morris. “We're finally getting to see it open.”
Sacyr Construction USA, which operates in 16 countries on four continents, was awarded the project.
The company’s Chief Operating Officer Rosa Robles Gonzalez said the scope of the project required them to coordinate work with 35 contractors and hundreds of employees in the challenging conditions Texas weather presents.
“Facilitation and professionalism has made this achievement possible,” she said. “It's been six years since we arrived, and we are truly grateful for the warm welcome, and for the teamwork that has made all this possible.”
Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy, who is also the State Chair for the I-69 Alliance, praised the support from the Texas legislature and Sen. Robert Nichols, who have worked to fund and prioritize the I-69 corridor. In long-term planning, the relief route will become part of I-69.
The route is an example of the perseverance of those who see it’s potential to benefit Texas and the U.S.
“To give you a historical perspective, I remember the first discussions, that were going on. I was a school teacher in Corrigan, Texas. I was pregnant with my first child, and he's now 42,” she said. “So you might say that TxDOT, Texas and the I-69 Alliance, we're a persistent bunch, so we will keep going hard.”
State Rep. Trent Ashby said the route is an answer to a common question he hears from the public.
“I get asked all the time as a state representative, ‘Trent, what are we doing to see our tax dollars flow back to East Texas so that we're seeing a return on our investment into our road infrastructure?’,” he said. “What better example do we have now than to showcase what we're celebrating here today?”
Diboll Mayor Trey Wilkerson said much like the trees East Texas is famous for, his city will grow around the new addition, and he’s already seeing that.
“This is going to be a good thing. It's already a good thing,” he said. “There's businesses calling at least weekly, if not more often than that, that are interested in coming to Diboll; interested in being part of this. It's opening up doors that we didn't have before.”