KEDC, Gregg County and TxDot prepare to start joint project

Local and Texas Department of Transportation officials meet Tuesday to mark the start of a joint project between the state, Gregg County and Kilgore Economic Development Corporation.

Bill Stoudt, Gregg County Judge; Bob Barbee, Pct. 3 commissioner; Glenn Green, acting TxDOT Tyler District Engineer; and Bill Adamson, KEDC President, are expected to attend the meeting along with other TxDOT staff, county commissioners and KEDC board members.

Gregg County crews will widen a section of FM 349 at Elder Lake Road under the terms of an agreement that is the first of its kind between Tx- DOT and a county with an economic development organization providing partial funding. Mary Meyland former Tyler District engineer worked with Gregg County to write the agreement and submit it to Tx- DOT for approval. Adams Engineering of Tyler and Billings Surveying and Mapping of Kilgore also provided services during the approval process.

The project includes a left turn lane into Synergy Park in Kilgore from FM 349 and an acceleration lane onto FM 349 from Elder Lake Road, just east of the US 259 bypass. Synergy Park is home to businesses and distribution centers, including Orgill, which has about 50 trucks entering daily.

"This widening project is significant to KEDC business retention and recruitment efforts for Synergy Park," said Lisa Denton, KEDC economic development specialist. "It is important to continue activities that improve our companies' ability to do business in Kilgore and Gregg County."

Construction will continue through the end of 2008. FM 349 will remain open but traffic will be controlled during that time.