US 82 Widening Near De Kalb Moves Into Construction Phase

A Texas Department of Transportation project to widen US 82 through the De Kalb area is moving from planning into construction, although the available records describe timing differently. TxDOT said in an April 9 announcement that work was expected to begin in June 2026 and take about four years. A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing lists June 1, 2026, as the registered start date and February 28, 2031, as the registered completion date.

Those dates describe the project schedule in public records. They do not confirm that every construction activity began exactly on June 1 or establish current lane closures and traffic controls.

6.8 miles along US 82

The project covers about 6.8 miles of US 82 in western Bowie County, including the De Kalb area. TxDOT’s construction announcement describes the corridor as running from County Road 3403 at the Red River County line to US 259. The agency’s project page specifies the limits as 0.1 mile west of CR 3403 to 0.1 mile west of US 259.

The TDLR filing identifies De Kalb, Texas 75559, as the project location and lists Bowie County. It records a June 1, 2026, start date and a February 28, 2031, completion date for the registered project.

Planned highway and drainage work

The existing two-lane roadway is planned to become a divided four-lane highway. The proposed design calls for two 12-foot travel lanes in each direction, a continuous 16-foot paved median and 10-foot shoulders.

The work also includes drainage improvements, including replacement of existing culverts and modifications to open roadside ditches. The TDLR filing describes related grading, paving, signals, signing, pavement markings and bicycle-infrastructure improvements.

TxDOT awarded the project to Highway 19 Construction LLC for a low bid of $54,806,521. The agency’s project page separately lists an estimated project cost of $67.9 million; because the records present different figures without explaining the scope difference, they should not be treated as interchangeable.

Sidewalks, bicycling and the Northeast Texas Trail

The project records include pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, and the TDLR filing identifies bicycle-infrastructure improvements as part of the work. Project materials also call for relocating the existing Northeast Texas Trail System route in the project area about 25 feet south.

The relocation is expected to include clearing and grading to reestablish the trail in its new location. TxDOT says trail reconstruction could begin before the roadway widening. Based on the current project description, the trail is planned for relocation rather than elimination.

What De Kalb users should watch

Because the work is expected to continue across multiple construction seasons, residents and commuters should anticipate that roadway, drainage, pedestrian and bicycle conditions may change as different portions of the project advance. Businesses and property owners near the corridor may also need to monitor official notices for changes affecting entrances, crossings or nearby work areas.

The available records do not establish current lane closures, detours, trail closures, traffic-control layouts or access changes for particular businesses, residences or properties. They also do not support concluding that a specific De Kalb property will be acquired or lose access.

Before making a trip, residents, commuters, cyclists and trail users should check current TxDOT or DriveTexas information for posted closures and restrictions. The registered completion date is February 28, 2031, but TxDOT says the expected completion timing may change because of weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

Sources

• TxDOT: US 82 expansion to begin soon
• Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation TABS project record
• Chron: Major TxDOT expansion to tear up north Texas highway this summer