State maintenance forces are preparing local highways for tomorrow’s (Sunday) anticipated mandatory evacuation. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is prestaging barricades and other traffic control devices along major hurricane evacuation routes including US 69, US 96, SH 87 and SH 146.

TxDOT and local emergency management officials have made several changes to some evacuation routes including the addition of EvacuLanes. EvacuLanes allow motorists to use the shoulders of certain highways as northbound travel lanes. Also, the SH 105 route has been redesigned to allow motorists to travel to SH 146.

If an evacuation is called, crews will install barricades, traffic cones, and arrow boards to help direct traffic to evacuation routes.

TxDOT has suspended highway construction work involving lane closures to keep from interfering with evacuation traffic.

The Beaumont district is comprised of Jefferson, Orange, Hardin, Tyler, Chambers, Jasper, Liberty and Newton Counties.