Probably the most intrusive roadwork we’ve ever had in Lubbock appears to be coming to an end.
If there were an award for the most sanity-testing road construction project in recent Lubbock history, the work on 19th Street would win by a landslide—possibly one created by the project itself. This project, which started in June of 2022, was last said to be done “by the end of the year”. While that deadline still technically exists, optimism remains… cautious at best.
I travel 19th Street almost daily, and each trip has felt less like a commute and more like choosing-your-own-adventure with traffic cones. The landscape has featured a constantly shifting maze of orange barrels, abrupt lane swaps, construction equipment parked where roads used to be, and holes deep enough to make you question the structural integrity of modern vehicles. At times, I’ve genuinely wondered whether I was driving legally or accidentally inventing new traffic violations that would only be explained to me later—perhaps while recovering in a hospital bed.
19th Street In Lubbock-From Chaos to… Cautious Optimism?
In the last few weeks, something strange has happened: the chaos appears to be easing. There are fewer workers present, fewer sudden detours, and long stretches that actually resemble a finished roadway. Whether this slowdown is due to holiday schedules or actual progress is difficult to say, but the visual evidence suggests that at least some major phases are wrapping up. It feels less like survival mode and more like the final stretch of a very long endurance test.
One of the most overlooked impacts of this project has been on nearby businesses. Many were effectively economically savaged—buried behind barricades, choked by dust, and made inaccessible to customers. Lately, however, those same businesses appear to be dusting themselves off, refreshing signage, and preparing for a future that doesn’t involve apologizing for impossible parking.
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Would I bet real money that everything is finished by the end of the year? Not a chance. But for the first time in a long time, it genuinely feels like the end is visible. And after months of “What fresh hell is this?” moments, that’s good enough to celebrate—carefully.
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