Mill and overlay project to begin on Rogers Lane next week

Drivers in east Lawton can expect some delays, beginning next week.

Ward 4 Councilman George Gill said Ellsworth Construction LLC (dba A-Tech Paving) will begin addressing the first 10 mill and overlay projects Nov. 29, starting with East Rogers Lane at East Cache Creek. Gill said the Oklahoma City construction firm met with City of Lawton officials this week to discuss the project, and are ready to begin work.

East Rogers Lane is the first of 41 street projects identified for upgrades with the mill and overlay technique, where workers will grind off the top surface, then apply a fresh coat of asphalt. The process produces a smoother driving surface while extending the life of the road by five to eight years, city engineers said.

Members of the Streets and Bridges Committee (which Gill chairs) selected 10 projects for that first mill and overlay program, and City Council members selected Ellsworth as the contractor for that $1.55 million project Nov. 14. While the council has approved a second priority list of 13 projects, and is expected to approve a third list recently set by the Streets and Bridges Committee, funding won’t be designated for that work until the 2024-2025 fiscal year, committee members said.

Gill said Ellsworth’s work will begin next week with East Rogers Lane from East Cache Creek to Northeast Flower Mound Road, before moving to East Cache Road from Northeast Flower Mound Road to Northeast 45th Street. He said work on those arterials, as well as eight other roads on the project list, will mean some road and lane closures while the work is being done.

“The longest work will be seven to 10 days,” he said, of potential disruptions.