When Road Construction Crews Encounter Roadside Memorials, They Leave Them Alone

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ARLINGTON (1080 KRLD) - You've undoubtedly noticed them. Memorials placed along the roadway marking where a loved one was killed in a crash.

Val Lopez with TxDOT says it works with the families to put up those memorials.

"We work with the families in determining location and discuss the regulations we have towards them," Lopez says.

And Lopez says as long as families maintain them, crews will essentially consider them off-limits.

But what happens if the roadside memorial is in a construction zone? Lopez says crews will do what they can to leave them alone.

"We work around them, whenever we do any sort of maintenance or construction; if we go through there to mow the right-of-way area," Lopez says.

Take 360 south of I-20 for example. Crews right now are tearing up the roadway to make way for new toll lanes.

But just north of Timberview High School, there's been a memorial up since 2011 near the spot where Kimberly Pimentel and Carlos Marquez were killed in a crash.

Crews have cordoned off the memorial with caution tape during construction.

"When we do have construction, we do our best to work around a (roadside) memorial," Lopez says.

Lopez says if a memorial absolutely needs to be moved, TxDOT will work closely with the family.

"If there's any reason why we need to relocate it, either because the footprint of the facility is changing or there's some work in that immediate area, we do reach out to the family and discuss either a temporary location where the marker can be placed, or an alternate location," Lopez says.

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