Honkin' Mad

Alert! I-20 won't be closed tonight after all

The Texas Dept. of Transportation has called off plans to close westbound I-20 at U.S. 287 from 8 p.m. to midnight. S&J Electric of Fort Worth, the contractor hired to hang overhead signs in the area, has a scheduling conflict, transportation department spokesman Val Lopez said at 4:10 p.m.
The work will be done in the next few weeks, and TxDot will give motorists a heads-up a day or two ahead of time, Lopez said.

If you know someone who normally uses I-20 but was planning to avoid it tonight, you might wanna spread the word that the road will be open all night ... and tell 'em you read about it on Honkin' Mad!

 

I-20 in FW closing Tuesday night!!!

Drivers are encouraged to avoid westbound I-20 in East Fort Worth Tuesday night. All westbound lanes will be closed 8 p.m. to midnight at U.S. 287, where the Texas Department of Transportation plans to hang new overhead signs, agency spokesman Val Lopez said. Traffic will exit at East Loop 820, and a detour will be posted. Drivers wishing to get back on I-20 may take 820 north to Sun Valley Drive, make a U-turn and head south on 820 to the I-20 interchange.

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And you thought yesterday's commute home was long ...

Star-Telegram photography and digital gadget guru Gregg Ellman just called the photo desk to report that southbound East Loop 820 from the U.S. 287 merge to I-20 "is gridlocked."

If you haven't left work yet, and you're planning to get out in this stuff, be sure you've got a full tank of gas.

Takin' calls on I-20

Gary Pina is a Star-Telegram news editor. He also a road warrior. He's "The Other Guy on I-20." That'll be his handle on Honkin' Mad. Here's a traffic report from him:

It’s usually  leisure an afternoon stroll from Duncanville on I-20 to 287 to Fort Worth, but today I was in a hurry. To pass the time, I took an informal poll on people with handheld cell phones. In the 40-minute drive, I counted 15 holding cell phones. Six in cars and 9 in SUVs/trucks. 5 women, 9 guys and an other, who I couldn’t tell. And only two had one or more passengers. Of course, I might’ve missed some when I made a beeline from the fourth to the first lane.

The other guy on I-20