Several readers asked when repairs would be complete to FM 1616, so we asked TxDOT. This is the reply from TxDOT spokesperson Kathi White:
“A washout occurred on FM 1616 a couple of weeks ago during the heavy rains. The road was damaged 1.5 miles northeast of Loop 7 at Athens. The repairs are being made as part of a 3.5-mile project to widen FM 1616 from US 175/Loop 7 to FM 2752. The fix for the washout includes installing new pipe under the roadway. That work is expected to be completed within the next couple of weeks, weather permitting. Meanwhile, the $2.1 million widening project got under way on October 19 and has an anticipated completion date of summer 2016. The contractor is Big Creek Construction.”