Major stumbling block on US-290 after TxDOT fires contractor

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- US-290 is undergoing a major construction project, but recently drivers and businesses owners along one portion of the freeway noticed that roadwork had abruptly halted.

"It's pretty tough just to sit there and watch it be stagnant," Alan Jordan, director of operations of Rudy's Country Store, told us.

Rudy's sits along the feeder road of US-290, near West Little York, and had already been dealing with the pains of construction for months.

"We reached out to you to see if you had any ideas of what was going," he said.

We found out that the Texas Department of Transportation fired the contractor they selected to work along Segment H, the stretch of freeway between Pinemont and West Little York.

"We worked with the contractor, and it just wasn't happening, it just wasn't progressing," Karen Othon, TxDOT spokesperson told us.

TxDOT would not offer any other details, but they did say that Tradeco is not working on any other US-290 segments, although they are engaged in other projects throughout the state. The surety company hired by TxDOT will take bids to choose a new contractor. There will be no cost to the taxpayers, other than time.

"I am estimating about three months we will have a new contractor back on board at work on that segment... we are going to make it all work," Othon says.

The entire project is still on track for completion in late 2017.

Meantime, Rudy's will keep serving brisket, hoping you can follow the smoke signals through the 290 traffic.

"Somehow the people figure out how to get over to us, so we really appreciate their patience."