TxDOT Presents Plans for Improved I-20, US 84 Interchange

Red lines in highways indicate limits of area to be modified.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Abilene District, had representatives at the Roscoe School Cafetorium yesterday evening to present its plans for an upgrade of the I-20, US 84 interchange just east of town. The purpose of the meeting was to show proposed sets of plans for the upgrade and to solicit public input on them.

The improvements are needed because, as we all know, the interchange has a history of fatal crashes and higher crash rates than other interchanges. Its current layout is also outdated and does not meet today’s design standards. A re-working to correct these and related problems, such as the insufficient spacing for the ramp entrances, will greatly improve the safety of the interchange to accommodate the present and future increased flow of traffic on the two highways.

The proposed improvements include the following considerations to meet current design standards:

•   Flattening the I-20 curves. 
•   Redesigning direct connectors between I-20 and US 84. 
•   Providing a direct connection for eastbound 1-20 to westbound US 84. 
•   Optimizing ramp connections. 
•   Reconstructing of frontage roads along I-20.
  

A fuller explanation of the proposed improvements is available online at the TxDOT website. Go to www.txdot.gov and search Roscoe Interchange. TxDOT encourages your participation and is soliciting your comments, which can be sent by e-mail to tracy.jones@txdot.gov.

TxDOT plans to evaluate the alternatives this spring, to begin its schematic design this summer, and to conduct an environmental evaluation this fall. So, if you have issues you want them to consider, now is the time to let them know. A second public meeting will be held this fall, and a final one next spring. Current plans are to begin construction in the summer of 2021.

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FOUR PLOWBOYS QUALIFY FOR REGIONAL POWERLIFTING MEET

Four Plowboys have qualified for the regional powerlifting meet to be held in Sundown this Saturday, March 10.

Andrew Deleon is in the 114 lb. weight class, Francisco Garcia in the 165 lb. weight class,
Adrian Lomas in the 198 lb. weight class, and Austin Lara in the 220 lb. weight class.

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PLOWGIRL KINZIE BUCHANAN ALL-DISTRICT IN BASKETBALL

Kinzie Buchanan shoots a jumper in a game with Hawley.

Kinzie Buchanan, a sophomore, has been selected to this year’s first-team District 8-2A girls’ basketball team.

Making honorable mention were Bonnie Wilkinson,Veronica Cuellar, and Victoria Martinez.

Making Academic All-District were Jaci Alexander, Ainsleigh Nelson, Riley Sheridan, Liberty Saenz, and Baylor Trevino.

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PLOWGIRLS, PLOWBOYS HOST BLACKLAND RELAYS FRIDAY

Roscoe track fans will get an opportunity to see this year’s athletes in action at Plowboy Field this Friday, March 9, as they host the annual Blackland Relays. Field events begin at 2:30pm. Running finals will begin at about 5:30pm, depending on how long the field events take.

As usual, most of the area schools will have athletes here participating.

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PLOWBOYS, PLOWGIRLS OPEN TRACK SEASON AT ACU

Plowgirls and Plowboys got their first taste of track competition last Friday when they participated in the ACU Wildcat Open at Elmer Gray Stadium in Abilene. They faced stiff competition as all the schools they competed against were much larger: Abilene, Abilene Cooper, Abilene Wylie, Lubbock Cooper, San Angelo Central, and Wall.

Bonnie Wilkinson continued her winning ways by finishing first in the Triple Jump with a distance of 35’ 7”, and Kinzie Buchanan won the Shot Put with a toss 34’ 6½”. In doing so, she also broke the all-time Plowgirl record. She also finished second in the Discus Throw with a distance of 95’10”. The Plowgirl 4 x 400-meter relay team of Jaci Alexander, Victoria Martinez, Kadee Martinez, and Bonnie Wilkinson finished second with a time of 4:20.00.

For the Plowboys, Micheal Wright finished second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.02 and was also runner-up in the Triple Jump with a distance of 41’ 1¼”.

Here are the times and distances for all the Plowgirls and Plowboys who competed:

Plowgirls

Event                            Place        Athlete                Best Time or Distance
400 meter dash              2           Bonnie Wilkinson           1:00.91
                                         10           Kadee Martinez               1:05.00
                                         13           Anahi Ortega-Solis          1:10.00
800 meter run                9           Riley Sheridan                 2:30.00
                                         17           Anahi Ortega-Solis          3:00.00
1600 meter run              4           Riley Sheridan                  6:12.01            
300 meter hurdles         7           Jaci Alexander                     50.00
4 x 100 meter relay        5          Roscoe Collegiate                 54.01
  1) J. Alexander 2) V.Martinez 3) K. Martinez 4) B. Wilkinson
4 x 200 meter relay        7          Roscoe Collegiate               2:11.47
  1) Alexis Arce 2) Kinzie Buchanan 3) Elisa Silva 4) Hannah Ward
4 x 400 meter relay        2          Roscoe Collegiate             4:20.00
  1) J. Alexander 2) V. Martinez 3) K. Martinez 4) B. Wilkinson
Triple Jump                      1          Bonnie Wilkinson              35’ 7½”
                                            4          Jaci Alexander                    31’ 11½”
Shot Put                             1          Kinzie Buchanan                34’ 6½”
                                            5          Veronica Cuellar                 28’ 7”
                                          18          Cassandra Jorgensen         21’ 4”
Discus Throw                   2          Kinzie Buchanan                 95’10”
                                            5          Ainsleigh Nelson                 85’ 8”
                                            7          Veronica Cuellar                  83’ 5”

Plowboys

Event                            Place         Athlete                  Best Time or Distance
100 meter dash               19          Caleb Gray                           12.35
                                           26         Jose Ortega                           12.41
200 meter dash                2          Micheal Wright                   24.02
                                           14          Caleb Gray                            25.48
400 meter dash              14          Jayden Gonzales                 58.35
                                           16          Jose Ortega                          60.42
1600 meter run               13         Brayan Medina                  5:31.26
3200 meter run                5          Brayan Medina               10:44.92
                                           20         Alfonso Islas                    12:38.92
110 meter hurdles           16         Coltin Watts                          20.64
300 meter hurdles          14         Junior Martinez                   48.28
                                            15         Coltin Watts                          50.49
4 x 100 meter relay          7          Roscoe Collegiate                 47.47
 1) Jathan Coale 2) Jayden Gonzales 3) Caleb Gray 4) Brandon Lavalais
4 x 200 meter relay          6          Roscoe Collegiate             1:38.79
  1) J. Coale 2) Micheal Wright 3) B. Lavalais 4) Junior Martinez
4 x 400 meter relay          6          Roscoe Collegiate              3:51.88
  1) Micheal Wright 2) Alfonso Islas 3) Jose Ortega 4) Junior Martinez
Triple Jump                       2          Micheal Wright                    41’ 1¼”
                                             --          Junior Martinez                     Foul
Shot Put                              9          Brandon Lavalais                 34’ 6½”

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WEATHER REPORT: MILD AND DRY

The sunset on Saturday.

For west Texas, the weather was unusually consistent this past week. The wind blew most days, but that’s to be expected this time of year, skies were either clear or only partly cloudy, and temperatures were generally mild. Highs were in the sixties every day but Sunday, and lows varied from the thirties to the fifties. The high for the week was on Sunday, which reached 86°F, and the maximum low was also on Sunday at 60°. The lowest low was yesterday morning when the temperature dropped to 35°. There was no precipitation, just a couple of heavy dews.

Today should continue the recent trend with sunny skies, only a light breeze from the east, and a high this afternoon of 62°. Tomorrow will be warmer and windier with a high of 70°, and Friday even more so with a high of 78° and a low of 56°. The maximum on Saturday will climb into the mid-eighties, but a norther should move through on Sunday, dropping the high to 62°, followed by Monday’s 58°.

There is no rain in the forecast.

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