Safe and easier travel awaits Burkburnett residents on the City's Southwest side. Work has just begun by a TxDOT contractor on a $5.7 Million project to upgrade FM 369 and Kramer Road.

FM 369= from 1.5 Miles South of SH 240 in Burkburnett South to FM 3492 (Reilly Road).

Kramer Road= from FM 369 to Ciba.

FM 369 will be widened from 20' to 44' of pavement. The roadway will be upgraded from the current two 10' lanes with 4' gravel shoulders to two 12' lanes with 10' paved shoulders on each side.

Kramer will be expanded as well to allow for the current 11 ½' lanes to be widened to 12' lanes. There will be a continuous left turn lane added down the center of the roadway. Curbs, gutters, and storm sewers will also be added to alleviate some of the flooding problems in front of the high school.

The job will take approximately 10 months to complete. This month the contractor will start culvert work on the Western end of Kramer Road. Starting later this week, weather and materials permitting, drivers on Kramer near FM 369 will experience lane and road closures in the area around the job site. Detour signs or pilot cars will be in place to move motorists around the work zone. These closures will take place for several days.

Meanwhile starting June 1^st, a more lengthy closure will go into effect on Kramer from Arapaho to Ciba. This area in front of Burkburnett High will be closed until school begins in mid August.

In an effort to make sure the contractor widens this section on Kramer without impacting the school too much, a costly disincentive has been placed on the contract. The contractor will be fined $2,650 per day if it fails to finish the portion in front of the school by August 15^th. As a bonus for finishing early, the contractor also has the ability to earn an incentive of $2,650/day for a maximum of 10 days if completed before August 15^th.

However, it still has 185 working days to finish the entire project on both roads.

The contractor for the project is Site Concrete Inc.