Lewisville

Interstate 35E Commuters Hope for Break after Days of Big Backups

Commuters were hoping for a smoother drive home Tuesday on Interstate 35E in Denton County after a recent spate of crashes, backups and other headaches.

The last few days and last several evening rush hours in a row have been marked by various traffic accidents.

Some of the larger issues included a banana truck catching on fire at the Lewisville Bridge on Friday, a fatal accident in Lewisville that resulted in a good Samaritan's death Sunday, and rush hour accidents at both the President George Bush Turnpike and Post Oak Drive in Corinth on Monday.

Leaders at the 35Express project rough estimated about seven major accidents that affected traffic flow through their project zone in the past week.

There doesn't seem to be any reason they all happened side-by-side, maybe just bad luck for commuters some guessed.

"There are always a lot of accidents on the highway in any city," said Lewisville Police Lt. Dan Rochelle.

Officers said Tuesday that the best way to help keep traffic moving is to limit distractions in cars like cell phones, remove stopped and disabled vehicles from the road as quickly as possible and try to be courteous to your fellow drivers in those stressful rush hours.

"You've got to be paying attention to what's going on around you," said Rochelle. "Try not to let things around you distract you such as cell phones or your kids in the car."

Leaders also remind drivers that the entire stretch of I-35E from I-635 to Highway 380 is a construction zone right now as 35Express overhauls that road.

The crews working on that project ask drivers to slow down in the zone, be attentive to traffic pattern changes and allow them plenty of room to work.

Rochelle said that includes allowing emergency workers room to work as the construction zones can be very difficult to navigate for them and to clear accidents.

Many drivers seemed hopeful Tuesday that their luck may be turning around though as no major accidents were reported.

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