State Highway 349 Reliever Route

2009 marked major accomplishments on the SH 349 Relief Route in Midland and Martin Counties. Construction was completed on the first phase of the new construction roadway from its connection to the existing SH 349 to SH 158.

Construction continues on the second phase from SH 158 to its intersection with FM 1788 just north of SH 191. In addition, TXDOT recently announced a January 2010 letting to proceed with construction of the SH 349 Relief Route overpass at SH 158, which was excluded for the original letting due to cashflow constraints.

The overall project has cost approximately $21 million to date and addition of the new overpass will likely increase the overall cost to $25 to $26 million. "This has been a great example of MOTRAN’s work to bring additional funding to the area," said 2008-09 Chair Susie Hitchcock-Hall. "By the time all is said and done this project will provide over $25 million in new infrastructure to the area, that we have leveraged with only $2 million in funds that would have been available locally otherwise."

The new construction will likely divert trucks away from Loop 250 in Midland, providing needed relief from increasing traffic counts on the Loop, but will also help provide a new connection to I-20, Hwy 80, and SH 191 between both communities. 2009-10 MOTRAN Chairman David Boutin said, "This project is another example of our continuing efforts to literally build bridges between Midland and Odessa. The access and mobility gained from this project will continue to support the new developments and economic opportunities between our two communities."