Construction Makes For Costly Commute In North Dallas

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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - An extensive road repair in North Dallas has drivers frustrated this holiday season. For much of the last two months, drivers on Preston Road from Northwest Highway to Elderwood Drive have experienced one lane, heavy traffic and a bumpy ride.

And for some, the commute has been costly.

Driving on Preston Road is like navigating an obstacle course these days.

"It's like driving over the reverse of a pothole," says driver Sandra Sebag.

"My air keeps going out of my tires because I keep hitting all those bumps," says driver Frances Cordell. "It's really an inconvenience, and it's kind of irritating."

A $2.3 million concrete repair and overlay project is the culprit. TXDOT says it's a major and much-needed task that first involved removing the existing asphalt. But for Austin McDaniel, who drives the route daily, it's caused a major headache.

"I heard this loud gash, and immediately my tire indicator light came on twice," McDaniel says. "I pulled over to the side and immediately knew that I had a flat tire."

Two weeks later, it happened again.

"I'm like, really? Is this going to happen again? How much longer is this going to last?" he says.

It's a question that TXDOT is trying to answer. Weather and crew-related delays have cost time. After complaints and lobbying from local officials, they began closing two lanes a day, one of them overnight to let the concrete cure. The target completion is December 20th, but TXDOT says that may be optimistic.

"I think they just need to be running those crews 24 hours a day," McDaniel says. "Get some light plants out there and get the job done as quickly as possible."

Next up are the Southbound lanes. TXDOT says that will begin in the spring as early as weather permits.

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