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The fallout from Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugens explosive testimony about social medias threat to children before the Senate Commerce Committee last fall is coming into focus.

Theres bipartisan support in Congress to ban targeted ads aimed at kids under 16, require tech firms to establish default safety tools to protect children online and give parents more control over their childrens web surfing.

The Commerce Committee last week advanced for floor consideration two bills: It approved the Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act on a voice vote and the Kids Online Safety Act by a unanimous 28-0.

Haugen had shared internal documents revealing that Facebook knows its Instagram photo-sharing platform can be addictive to teens and has likely led to increased rates of eating disorders and depression.

The fallout from Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugens testimony last fall is coming into focus. | Pool photo by Jabin Botsford

Facebook has been asking for years to be regulated, and the company certainly has the resources to keep up with new rules. It has also been building out parental tools and reminders that nudge teens to take a break or switch topics.

But a consensus is forming that Haugen was on to something.

Using principles from behavioral psychology, algorithm and tech companies are finding ways to keep kids and teens engaged for longer periods, Nusheen Ameenuddin, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media, told POLITICO. They are feeding them more content based on their clicks, their preferences all of these things that really they have no control over.

The Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act, co-sponsored by unlikely allies Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), is an update to the 1998 Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act and extends existing privacy protections for preteens to children up to age 16 and bans ads targeting them. It would also give kids and their parents the right to review and delete information that online platforms have collected about them. The bill would put the Federal Trade Commission in charge of enforcement and calls for a Youth Privacy and Marketing Division at the agency that would assess how well its ensuring child safety online.

The Kids Online Safety Act, co-sponsored by another unusual pair, Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), would require social media platforms to allow kids and their parents to opt out of content algorithms that have fed them harmful content and disable addictive product features. The bill limits collection of kids data, offers controls to parents and kids over their online experience and restricts who can contact a child on social media. It also calls for audits and independent research to identify potential harms.

Mitch Prinstein, chief science officer at the American Psychological Association, said the bill is a good jumping-off point for a larger discussion about how kids should interact with social media. Theres emergent evidence to suggest that the longer theyre on, the more it is changing the structure and function of their brain development.

But Congress must still agree on the details and resolve turf battles before a new law can be passed.

During the Commerce panels markup, the ranking Republican, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, said he prefers a bill the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved by a 53-2 vote last month that would tackle the data-privacy issue more broadly, covering adults as well as children. But that bill would preempt existing state rules, like Californias consumer privacy law, prompting opposition.

Welcome back to Future Pulse, where we explore the convergence of health care and technology. ICYMI, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to the FTC asking for an investigation into Amazons impending deal with One Medical. He wants to know if a One Medical doctor says hes got high blood pressure, will he have to worry about getting bombarded with ads for Whole Foods supplements? Dystopian! What do you think?

Share your news, tips and feedback with Ben at [emailprotected] or Ruth at [emailprotected] and follow us on Twitter for the latest @_BenLeonard_ and @RuthReader. Send tips securely through SecureDrop, Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp here.

HOUSE OKS TELEHEALTH EXTENSION The House voted 416-12 last week to pass a bill by Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney that would keep expanded Medicare telehealth access in place through the end of 2024.

The landslide vote was a major boon for telehealth advocates. The legislation would let Medicare as well as federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics continue to cover virtual visits from patients homes. It would also extend a waiver allowing patients to avoid in-person mental health visits.

The eased rules are currently set to end five months after the end of the Covid-19 public health emergency, which could come as soon as October.

Republicans upset with process: GOP lawmakers were dismayed that House leadership went around bipartisan negotiations and the committee process to put Cheneys bill on the floor, even though most Republicans voted for the legislation.

Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) told POLITICO that the House should have passed his bill, the Telehealth Modernization Act, which would make some eased rules permanent.

GOP lawmakers were dismayed that House leadership went around bipartisan negotiations and the committee process to put Cheneys bill on the floor. | Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Whats next: Cheneys bill is off to the Senate, where its expected to have bipartisan support. Still, a busy legislative calendar lies ahead, and telehealth legislation probably wont move until the lame duck session after the midterm elections, a Senate aide told POLITICO.

UNITEDHEALTH FACES OFF AGAINST DOJ The antitrust trial challenging UnitedHealth Groups acquisition of Change Healthcare is underway before federal district court Judge Carl Nichols in Washington, D.C.

The DOJ brought suit in February, arguing that the acquisition would give UnitedHealth insight into competitors operations. Change Healthcare provides technology tools to health systems and insurers that help them process claims. United argues that the DOJs argument rests on speculative theories.

The case will highlight how the Biden administration is shifting traditional thinking on antitrust to deal with technology.

At the American Bar Associations conference on healthcare law earlier this year, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Andrew Forman of the Antitrust Division gave some insight into how hes thinking about market power in healthcare: The division has several competitive concerns, including the loss of head-to-head competition, exploitation of competitively sensitive information, and reduced innovation.

The trial will likely end next week.

DATA BROKERS NOT GIVING IN TO PRESSURE Democrats are pushing data brokers to stop gathering information on expectant parents to protect them from potential legal consequences if they seek abortions in states where the procedure is now banned, but theyve largely struck out, POLITICOs Alfred Ng reports.

Brokers have long sold information on pregnant people, including their trimester status and preferred birth methods. Its valuable to companies that make and sell products new parents need.

Abortion bans that took effect after the Supreme Court turned abortion rights over to the states in June target abortion providers, but abortion rights groups argue that states could weaponize the information against people getting abortions too.

It is shockingly irresponsible for a data broker to bury their head in the sand and pretend their business of tracking pregnancies and selling that information for profit wont be weaponized by far-right extremists, said Oregons Ron Wyden, who introduced with several other Senate Democrats in June the My Body, My Data Act to limit reproductive health data collection, in an email.

With no federal data privacy legislation telling them they must, many brokers arent changing their practices.

POLITICO found more than 30 listings offering data on expectant parents or selling access to them via email blasts. Most were updated after the courts ruling.

Joe Pych, the CEO of NextMark a directory of marketing email lists said it wasnt a problem to host such lists.

As far as I know, theres no law today that prohibits prenatal mailing lists. If that were to change and this type of data became illegal, wed work with the providers to remove these listings, Pych said.

FTC SUES META OVER VIRTUAL REALITY APP The Federal Trade Commission sued last week to prevent Facebook parent company Meta from acquiring Within, the developer of a virtual reality fitness app, POLITICOs Josh Sisco reports.

The lawsuit figures to be a thorn in the side of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his quest to develop the metaverse. Within makes the Supernatural fitness app, which employs Metas virtual reality headset to help users stretch and work out.

The move is another sign of aggressive action from FTC Chair Lina Khan, who wants to expand traditional notions of antitrust law to prevent big technology companies from getting even bigger.

The FTCs case is based on ideology and speculation, not evidence, Facebook spokesperson Stephen Peters said in a statement.

Cities are lobbying to host the ARPA-H headquarters. Experts dont understand why Lev Facher, STAT

A.I. predicts the shape of nearly every protein known to science Cade Metz, The New York Times

Facebook slapped with another health data privacy lawsuit Marianne Kolbasuk McGee, Healthcare Info Security

See the original post:
Congress is closer than ever to reining in social media - POLITICO

The social media platform championed by former president Donald Trump, following his permanent suspension from Twitter in January 2021, has billed itself as Americas leading free speech social platform, Americas Big Tent social media platform and Social media without discrimination.

Many found Trumps declaration to revolutionize social media suspect. He was, after all, the golf green jacket of the Twitterverse riding the platforms algorithmic ability to increase divisiveness and spread misinformation all the way to the White House.

Alongside a new report, which investigates whether everyones truths make it to Trumps platform, experts weighed in on whether Truth Social is just as shady as the next platform when it comes to censorship.

When Truth Social debuted over this past Presidents Day weekend, the app revealed itself to be what most experts saw as a shiny, glitchy Twitter knockoff.

The platforms interface, functionality-wise, literally copied Twitter, said Jesse Lehrich, the co-founder and senior adviser of Accountable Tech.

Design-wise, it was a cheap trick of the platform Trump was suspended from. Tweet and retweet were replaced with Truth and reTruth. Users feeds, profile pages, button shapes and menu items all resembled Twitter and the usual social media infrastructure. The classic light-blue color palette was hued just slightly darker: eggplant purple.

But there was still the promise of romping through amber waves of free speech, which Trump hoped would attract patriotic minds. In the news release announcing Truth Social last October, he promised to create a rival to the liberal media consortium and fight back against the Big Tech companies of Silicon Valley.

Trump was unhappy when Twitter flagged covid-19 misinformation and false election claims, and deleted hate speech arguably the few positive, noticeable strides platforms have taken to moderate how users behave and engage with information.

But Truth Social has been doing a similar thing, says a new report released by Cheyenne Hunt-Majer, a Big Tech accountability fellow at Public Citizen. Hunt-Majer found that Truth Social limited posts and images that discussed reproductive rights, gun control and the Jan. 6 hearings. But as far as Trump might be concerned, it isnt even censoring all that well.

In a now-viral TikTok, Hunt-Majer explained that any post that included the phrase abortion is healthcare couldnt be posted, regardless of context. And she noted that while left-leaning posts were being limited, images with pro-gun quotes and anti-Ukraine phrases were also being banned.

But if there is anything that Truth Social does authentically replicate from Twitter, it is inconsistent, shrouded lever-pulling by algorithmically deciding what appears on peoples feeds, says Hunt-Majers report. Its called shadow banning which, as defined by Truth Social, is a deceptive and manipulative practice whereby a social media platform artificially limits the visibility of a users posts without the users awareness. Shadow banning is a practice often used by Big Tech social media platforms to effectively censor users who question prevailing narratives or hold disfavored political viewpoints.

But no social media platform is off the hook for shadow banning.

When it comes down to the under-the-hood architecture of what these platforms are actually doing, its just a black box, Lehrich said. In theory, downranking violative, borderline content is good practice, but theres no way to know what theyre actually doing. Its all self-reported.

The term shadow banning is one of those interesting, nebulous tech catchphrases that means different things to different people, Lehrich said.

When the term was first introduced, it was accepted to mean that a user can continue to post but not know that the platform is partially or completely limiting others from seeing that post. In other words, the user can see that theyve posted, but nobody else can.

But it has been co-opted to mean any time anyones distribution is being limited or not being retweeted as much as they normally would, Lehrich said.

Twitters algorithm is not without intention. In 2018, in response to right-wing outrage over Twitters alleged shadow banning Republican politicians, Twitter put out a statement asserting that it didnt outright engage in the practice. Instead, it used its algorithm to bury the posts of bad-faith actors deep in peoples feeds.

The algorithm is designed to maximize engagement, Lehrich said. One might think theyre being shadow banned on Twitter, Facebook or YouTube, but they really just arent posting often enough or following the right people.

Shadow banning is different from outright censorship seen in countries like China where posts criticizing the government will be taken down and ones account is likely to be deactivated. Its also different from the warning labels added to posts with misinformation, many of which are allowed to stay up with those flags.

The road ahead for Trumps social media baby is looking rather bleak. Since debuting at No. 1 on the Apple Stores social networking category, progress has been a slow, forward stumble. The app has fallen to 68th as of Friday and has not yet been adapted for Android phones (though a pre-order option is available).

As reported by Reuters, the apps 2.8 million downloads as of July 1 have been considered laughable by some, given its high-profile backing. The most prominent users of which there are very few verified accounts include (surprisingly) Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and (unsurprisingly) Trump himself.

And major questions about Truth Socials funding remain. The planned merger of Truth Socials parent company and Digital World Acquisition Corp. a so-called SPAC set up for investors to merge with another company and go public without needing an initial public offering is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. In June, Digital World said that executives from both companies had been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in New York.

If truth be told, what happens next is to Truth Social is anyones guess.

Thanks to Lillian Barkley for copy editing this article.

Read more:
Truth Social is accused of shadow banning: Here's what that means - Grid

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

If you enjoy playing or coaching recreational sports, you may be considering a career in sport management. After all, the field is diverse and can be highly lucrative. But what is sport management, exactly? Keep reading to learn more about this multidisciplinary business field.

Sport management refers to the management of various business functions in sports and recreation organizations. Depending on their specific job title, sport management professionals might plan, direct, organize or budget within a sports-related organization.

Getting a job in sport management doesnt necessarily mean signing on with a professional athletic league. Several sports and recreational organizations employ people with sport management skillsfrom college teams to stadiums, sports media firms to the Paralympics.

Sport management professionals tend to have a bachelors degree at minimum. Leadership positions in sports and recreation usually require at least a bachelor of business administration.

An undergraduate sport management degree prepares students for entry-level positions in the industry. Some start with a four-year undergraduate program at a college or university. Others begin by completing a two-year associate degree at a community college before transferring to a four-year university.

Expect to cover a variety of topics related to business management in undergraduate sport management courses. You might study brand management, event planning, facility management and legal aspects of sports and athletics. A BS in sport management equips students to work in facility management or sporting goods sales. Such entry-level positions often serve as a springboard to more advanced career paths.

If youre interested in sports leadership positions, consider pursuing a bachelor of business administration (BBA). This degree involves a business-intensive curriculum featuring management, finance, accounting and marketing courses.

BBA programs usually take three to four years to complete. Potential careers for BBA graduates include sport manager, athletic director, general manager, sports advertising sales manager and parks and recreation director.

MBA in sport management programs sharpen your business management skills through the lens of the sports and recreation industry. These degrees typically take two years to complete. Core coursework includes business-centric topics like finance, marketing, accounting, statistics and operations.

Sport management MBA programs offer a variety of industry-specific electives. These may include classes like coaching, sports media, sport psychology and international sports relations. Many programs also include internship opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience with athletic organizations.

Earning an MBA can open the door to higher-paying jobs in larger sports organizations. Sport management MBA graduates often find jobs with professional athletic leagues or sports marketing firms.

If youre interested in academia, consider pursuing a Ph.D. in sport management. People with sport management doctoral degrees often go on to launch careers as professors, researchers, urban developers and economists in the context of sports and recreation.

As a sport management Ph.D. candidate, youll develop an original doctoral dissertation. Throughout the program, youll generate research ideas, conduct relevant research and take supplemental coursework. Most Ph.D. candidates also serve as graduate student research assistants, providing professors with grading and instruction support.

During a doctoral program, your research could examine the intersection of sports and gender, for example. Other possible research areas include sports and their social impact or sports industry economics. Students are encouraged and expected to generate their own research ideas for original thesis development.

Because sport management is a multidisciplinary field, many students pursue concentrations to deepen their expertise in a specific subtopic. If youre inclined toward a certain aspect of the industry, consider finding a program that offers a concentration in that particular field. Below are a few examples of popular sport management concentrations.

Several laws impact the world of professional, amateur and recreational sports. Sports lawyers help athletes, coaches, managers and organizations navigate those laws and, when possible, avoid costly litigation.

Some of the most common areas of sports law include:

Sports media refers to the broadcast and reporting of sporting events, teams and sports news. Jobs in the sports media field include print journalism, photography, broadcast reporting (TV and radio), sports information analysis and program production. Major employers in the sports media arena include the MLB Network, ESPN and NBC Sports Regional Networks.

Sports event management involves planning, coordinating, organizing and leading events for sports organizations. Putting on sporting eventsfrom marathons to minor league baseball gamesrequires relentless attention to detail and quick decision-making skills. Among other key responsibilities, event managers must manage budgets, negotiate with vendors and coordinate day-of logistics.

Average Annual Salary: Around $61,000Job Description: Athletic directors liaise among schools athletes, coaches and academic departments. These professionals oversee the goals, budget and operations of schools athletic departments. They also help hire coaching staff, maintain facilities and promote athletic programs.

Median Annual Salary: $97,930Projected Job Growth (2020-2030): +9%Job Description: Facilities directors are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of athletic facilities. They ensure the safety of all those playing on the field, court or another playing surface. Facilities directors should hold a postsecondary degree in sport management and be trained in CPR and first aid.

Median Annual Salary: $133,380Projected Job Growth (2020-2030): 10%Job Description: Sports marketing consultants employ sales and marketing tactics to promote sports teams and their related organizations. They might also promote individual high-profile athletes. Marketing consultants also might work on a contract basis to supply valuable insights to clients.

Considering that 74% of Americans consider themselves sports fans, the sports industry is enjoying a positive growth outlook. As a result, growth rates for jobs including coaches, scouts, agents and business managers are on the rise.

Sport management degree-holders typically have various career options. Some might work directly with athletes as coaches, athletic directors or facilities directors. Others go the corporate route and become marketers, lawyers, data analysts or sports reporters.

Sports marketing consultants have one of the highest-paying positions in the sport management industry. Marketing consultants make a median annual salary of $133,380, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Yes, especially for those lacking the proper education or industry connections. Holding a degree in sport management gives you a higher chance of standing out against the competition and creating a lucrative career in the industry.

See the rest here:
What Is Sport Management? Degrees, Specializations And Careers - Forbes

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had an unfortunate Saturday routine. I would wake up in my studio apartment and immediately turn to my phone, telling myself that I would get breakfast after quickly checking Twitter.

An hour or so later, I would look up and realize what time it was - and how ravenous Id become. I had become totally absorbed in looking at memes, snark and the 24 hour news cycle.

This experience sparked an idea: What if, instead of people becoming addicted to social media as users often characterize their excessive engagement theyre actually dissociating, or becoming so engaged that they lose track of time?

Ive researched peoples social media use for four years as a Ph.D. student at the University of Washington, and my collaborators and I decided to design a study to test this theory.

Many researchers think dissociation occurs on a spectrum. On one end, there is the kind of dissociation that is spurred by trauma and associated with PTSD flashbacks.

Then there are common, everyday experiences of dissociation, which involve attention being limited to a narrow range of experience. Everyday dissociation can be passive or active. Spontaneous daydreaming is a form of passive dissociation, while reading a book is an example of active dissociation. In both cases, you can become so immersed in a fantasy or story that time falls away and you lose track of your surroundings. You might not be able to hear someone calling your name from another room.

Dissociation is part of healthy cognitive functioning, as mind-wandering helps you learn, and combating stress though deeply engaging in hobbies can boost your mood.

When online, however, dissociation can reflect zombie-like behavior - scrolling for hours without realizing it, not being aware to ones surroundings while scrolling, or scrolling on autopilot and then realizing you havent actually paid any attention to what youve read. Have you ever seen someone so absorbed in their phone that they start walking across a street, oblivious to oncoming traffic? Theyre likely dissociating.

Typically, behavior like this is classified as smartphone or internet addiction.

However, researchers have begun to push back against the narrative of addiction to describe excessive smartphone use, explaining that the behavior even if its a source of distress should not be considered addiction if its better explained by an underlying disorder, is a willful choice, or is part of a coping strategy.

I am of the belief that choosing to play Candy Crush for three hours a day is not necessarily addiction. I do, however, think that the complete disconnect people experience from their surroundings and sense of time passing is an interesting phenomenon to explore. Therefore, I wanted to understand if people are dissociating during their phone use.

In our study, we recruited volunteers to use a custom mobile app alternative to Twitter, called Chirp. Forty-three people used Chirp for four weeks, cycling through four different design interventions, coupled with in-app surveys. We then selected 11 of them to interview about the experience.

We found dissociation occurred in nearly half of our participants, and they often expressed a sense of disappointment afterwards, saying that they would have rather have engaged in a different activity with the amount of time they had spent online. However, some said their time on social media was meaningful to them, and the fact that they were connecting with real people was valuable, even as they dissociated.

Understanding social media overuse as a byproduct of dissociation, rather than addiction, can help destigmatize social media use while empowering users. This framing also helps explain why social media sits in a paradoxical position: people have frustrating relationships with social media platforms that they are simultaneously unwilling to quit.

Seeking escape from the present moment through deep absorption including absorption in social media is a natural, common, and often beneficial thing to do. However, when users spend much more time dissociating online than they would have consciously chosen for themselves, they become frustrated and conflicted. And many social media platforms exploit this tendency by keeping people on the hunt for new content through algorithmic design.

This suggests that it is possible for users to have healthy and satisfying relationships with social media even when dissociating is involved if the platforms can also help their users disengage.

In our study, we deployed several interventions to help pause or reduce dissociation while scrolling on Chirp. One intervention that was particularly effective was requiring our participants to sort their content into lists by topic say, news, sports and reality TV rather than having all subjects appear as an avalanche of information on one main feed. People could then click different tabs to view their lists. We found that many users would only scroll through one or two tabs before exiting the app.

We paired this intervention with a reading history label that informed our users when they were all caught up with previously viewed tweets. Participants said that this helped them feel more in control and less likely to lose track of time.

Of course, many current social media companies, such as TikTok, rely on algorithmically-determined, constantly updating content. Similarly, on Instagram and Twitter, popular and trending content gets inserted into a feed of followed content. This makes it impossible to ever get all caught up.

In these cases, past research shows that many people would appreciate reminders to log off before 30 minutes of use. Otherwise they become disappointed with the time theyve spent. These reminders could be inserted into regular content, which is something TikTok already does.

Users can do this for themselves by becoming familiar with the suite of digital well-being tools at their disposal. Viewing usage page statistics and setting timeouts is already available across many sites, although many of these settings are turned off by default.

However when more people use these tools, it signals to the companies that they should continue to invest time and resources into developing them.

See the article here:
Why it's important to think about social media use as a form of dissociation, rather than addiction - The Conversation

Anderson CountyPalestine Maintenance crews will be performing base repair on FM 3328. Expect daytime lane closures with flaggers and a pilot car controlling traffic.

Anderson County construction projects updates:

US 79 Super 2 Project

The contractor is scheduled to continue work on final cleanup. Project consists of widening for a Super 2, including sub-grade work, surface treatment, base and surface hot mix asphalt, widening structures, bridge rail, MBGF, signage and permanent striping.

SH 155 Overlay Project

The contractor is scheduled to work on driveways and drainage structures on SH 155 in Anderson County. The speed limit is scheduled to be reduced to 60 mph throughout the project limits. Motorists should use caution when traveling through the project and expect lane closures and delays. It consists of OCST, PFC surface, shoulder texturing, edge treatment and pavement markings.

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Cherokee CountyRusk crews will be operating edge repair on FM 2274 between FM 235 and US 79. They will then move to Loop 142 in the Ponta area between SH 110 and SH 204. Expect daytime lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic.

Jacksonville crews will be performing ditch maintenance on US 79 in the New Summerfield area. Expect daytime lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic.

Cherokee County construction projects updates:

SH 204 Super-2 Widening Project

No work is scheduled this week. The project adds passing lanes and incorporates safety upgrades.

US 84 Widening

The contractor is scheduled to replace bridge rail and resume widening. Lane closures will be in place. Expect delays on this corridor when construction is in progress. The project will widen and resurface the roadway, along with adding safety upgrades.

FM 22 Safety Widening and Bridge Replacement Project

No work is scheduled this week. The bridge is now open to traffic. The project will widen the existing roadway, replace three bridges and incorporate safety upgrades.

SH 21 Resurfacing Project

The contractor is scheduled to continue road work construction on driveway upgrades and structure extensions. No lane closures are expected. The project will consist of pavement resurfacing.

SH 135 Bridge Replacements

No work is scheduled this week. The project is currently under time suspension due to migrating birds nesting under the bridges. The project consists of the replacement of the bridge at Mud Creek and Mud Creek Relief.

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Gregg CountyLongview Maintenance will be working on washout on FM 1844 eastbound, just east of SS 502. Crews will also finish edging work on FM 1650, just west of US 259 N. Both jobs will have lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic.

Also, seal coat operations will take place this week at the following locations:

Gregg County construction projects updates:

Spur 63/McCann Road Bridge Project

This project is part of the City of Longview Guthrie Creek Trail project. It will consist of building a bridge over Guthrie Creek to allow bicyclist and pedestrians to travel under Spur 63. The traffic will be reduced to two lanes, one northbound lane and one south bound lane to allow the contractor to build half of the bridge. Traffic will be switched later to allow completion of the bridge construction. Expect delays.

FM 2206/Harrison Road

This project consists of widening a two-lane road to four lanes with a center turn lane. This includes drainage structures, new bridge, flexible base, hot mix and pavement markings. Contractor will be extending culverts and constructing detours. There will be daytime lane closures. Expect delays.

FM 2206/Harrison Road

This project consists of widening a two-lane road to four lanes with a center turn lane. This includes drainage structures, flexible base, curb and gutter, sidewalks, hot mix and pavement markings. Contractor will be extending culverts and constructing detours. There will be daytime lane closures. Expect delays.

Pentecost Rd. Bridge Replacement

The project consists of replacing the bridge structure on Big Head Creek. Pentecost Road will be closed to through traffic. Only local traffic will be allowed. Through traffic needs to select an alternate route. Estimated completion is August of 2022.

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Henderson CountyAthens maintenance is scheduled to perform base repairs on FM 3062 between SH 198 and State Maintenance Ends. A second crew is scheduled to edge repair on FM 753 between SH 31 and FM 2494. Expect lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic.

Henderson County construction projects updates:

SH 198 Bridge Project

The contractor is scheduled to work on the new northbound bridge and roadway elements. Motorists should be prepared for lane closures and delays. The speed limit has been reduced to 50 mph throughout the project. The project consists of the construction of replacing bridges, approaches, grading, structures, asphalt concrete pavement (ACP) base, ACP surface, retaining walls, curb & gutter, MBGF, and pavement markings.

BUS 175 Safety Improvement Project

The contractor is scheduled to work on sidewalks and roadway elements. Motorists should be prepared for lane closures and delays. The project includes traffic signals, curb ramps and pavement markings.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Resurface Project

The contractor is scheduled to work on the final cleanup of the parking areas in the fishery and intersection with FM 2495 in Henderson County. The project consists of OCST and pavement markings.

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Rusk CountyHenderson crews will seal coat on BU 259 and FM 840. Expect lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic.

Also, more seal coat operations will take place this week at the following locations:

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Smith CountyTyler Maintenance will have a base failure crew on FM 850, just off of FM 2767. Expect lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic. We will also have a sweeper unit and herbicide unit out in various locations around the county.

Also, seal coat operations will take place this week at the following locations:

Striping Operations:

Smith County construction projects updates:

Sidewalks at Various Locations in Smith County

The contractor is scheduled to complete punch list items. Lane closures are anticipated. The project consists of sidewalk construction along SH 64 west in Tyler, SH 110 west in Troup and SH 135 north in Troup.

FM 344, etc., Safety Improvements

No work is scheduled this week. The project consists of improving drainage, culvert work, and guardrail upgrades.

SH 155 Resurfacing Project

The contractor is scheduled to continue seal coat. Anticipate lane closures while work is in progress. When in progress, hours will be from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., Sunday through Thursday nights. Expect delays. The project will resurface the roadway, upgrade drainage structures, and repair bridge joints.

SH 64 Bridge Maintenance

The contractor is scheduled to complete punch list items. Lane closures are anticipated. When work is in progress, hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The project consists of bridge maintenance and repair.

Tyler State Park Bridge and Resurfacing Project

The contractor is scheduled to continue construction on the bridge and continue cut/fill work throughout the project. The project consists of bridge and pavement resurfacing.

SH 110 & FM 346 Landscape Project

No work is scheduled this week. The project consists of landscape development.

Whittle Street, CR 2110 and CR 289 Bridge Replacement Project

The contractor is scheduled to begin construction on Whittle Street at West Mud Creek Tributary. The road is closed to through traffic. The project replaces the existing bridge with a new structure.

The contractor is scheduled to continue construction on the CR 2110 bridge at Kickapoo Creek. The road is closed to through traffic. The project replaces the existing bridge with a new structure.

No work is scheduled this week on the CR 289 bridge at Prairie Creek. The road is open to traffic. The project replaces the existing bridge with a new structure. The contractor will complete one bridge at a time. Weather permitting, the bridge is scheduled to be completed at the end of May.

IH 20 Mill and Inlay

The contractor is scheduled to begin 2-inch mill and inlay under overpasses. Contractor plans to begin placing PFC throughout the project. Work will be done at night, Sundays from 9 PM to 5 AM and Monday-Thursday 8 PM to 5 AM. Expect delays on this corridor when construction is in progress. Project consists of an overlay with TBPFC surface, ACP surface, planing, shoulder texturing and pavement markings.

US 271 Rehab, Turn Lanes, and Pavement Overlay

Crews will be preparing for paving operations on the northbound rehab area and southbound inside lane. The northbound outside lane will be permanently closed with signs and channelizing devices for the affected section. No lane closures are anticipated southbound. Traffic control will be managed by flaggers as needed. The project consists of paving, structures, MBGF, and pavement markings from I-20 north to the Gregg County line. The portion from I-20 to FM 16 also includes turn lanes and pavement rehabilitation.

IH 20 at Barber Road

This project consists of widening on ramps and exit ramps, culverts, drainage upgrades, new metal beam guard fence and bridge rails on the Barber Road overpass, and asphalt overlay. No work this week on this project.

Safety Improvement Project (Van Zandt, Anderson, Smith and Henderson County)

The contractor is scheduled to continue work on driveways and drainage structures on FM 850 in Smith County. Motorists should be prepared for lane closures and delays. The project includes grading, structure work, guard rail replacement and bridge rail upgrades.

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Van Zandt CountyMaintenance crews are scheduled to perform mill and inlay on SH 243, starting at SH 198 to the Kaufman County line. Expect daytime lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic.

Van Zandt County construction projects updates:

I-20 MBGF Improvements (Van Zandt, Smith, and Gregg counties)

Project is in final inspection phase and no work is anticipated. This project is to construct safety improvements consisting of upgrading metal beam guard fence and mow strip.

SH 19 Super Two Widening & Overlay (South of Canton)

Crews will be performing roadway widening operations northbound. Traffic control will consist of a northbound shoulder closure managed by channelizing devices. The project consists of Super 2 work including grading, base repair, treated subgrade, flex base, OCST, PFC surface, structures, signs and pavement markings.

SH 19 Super Two Widening & Overlay (North of US 80)

Crews will be extending drainage structures. Traffic control will consist of a northbound shoulder closure managed by channelizing devices. The project consists of Super 2 work including grading, base repair, treated subgrade, flex base, OCST, PFC surface, structures, signs and pavement markings.

CR 2918, etc. Bridge Replacements

Contractor will be addressing punch list items. CR 2708 will be closed at the bridge for the remainder of construction. Minimal impact to the traveling public is anticipated. The project consists of removing and replacing four bridges.

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Wood CountyMaintenance crews are scheduled to perform hot mix overlay on SH 11 east of Winnsboro to the Camp County line. Expect one lane closure with flaggers and a pilot vehicle controlling traffic. Delays are expected.

Also, Striping Operations will take place at the following locations:

Wood County construction projects updates:

SH 37 Road Widening and PFC Overlay

Crews will be paving shoulder level-up northbound and southbound. Traffic control will consist of daily shoulder closures managed by flaggers and a pilot car. The project consists of base repair, level-up, spray paver, permeable friction course surface, structures, bridge rail, metal beam guard fence, and pavement markings.

FM 2088, etc. MBGF Improvements in Wood County

Crews will be replacing MBGF on FM 2966 at three Lake Fork bridges east of Yantis. Traffic control will consist of daily lane closures managed with flaggers. The project is for bridge maintenance consisting of MBGF and bridge retrofit rail.

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I-20 Total Maintenance Contract

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TxDOT Project Updates for the Week of Aug. 8, 2022 - Texas Department of Transportation