When will 19th Street, Loop 88 be done in Lubbock? Here's what TxDOT has to say

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18-06-2025

A sea of orange cones and zig-zagging traffic patterns have caused Lubbock commuters to avoid some major roadways and thoroughfares due to the stress and confusion of numerous ongoing road projects.
Top among them is the years-long, state-led project to redo 19th Street through central Lubbock. Over the past few years, businesses and commuters have been very vocal about the seemingly never-ending roadwork on 19th Street.
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According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the project that began in 2022 should be wrapping early next year; however, Lubbock just embarked on another project that will take well into the 2030s to complete just a portion of it — Loop 88.
With both projects well underway, here's what TxDOT is saying about each and when they are expected to be completed.
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The 19th Street project was originally expected to be completed in June 2025, said Dianah Coronado, public information officer for the TxDOT's Lubbock District, but faced delays as crews discovered issues with the water and storm drainage systems.
'There was some inconsistencies in what was in the plan and what was actually out under the roadway,' Coronado said. 'Some adjustments had to be made to the plans, which took some time, and then some materials had to be ordered to go with the changes that were made in the plans.'
More: TxDOT says 19th Street construction moving along in Lubbock, asks for patience
This took time, but construction is underway on the three sections of 19th Street.
Interstate 27 to Avenue Q (Depot District)
Currently, crews are working to install driveways, curbs and gutters on the south side of 19th Street.
'Once that concrete work is completed, the next step is to place asphalt on the roadway or pave the roadway,' Coronado said. 'Now that's not the final road surface, but it's what we call the first course.'
Avenue Q to University Avenue (In front of Lubbock High School)
Crews are again working to install driveways, curbs and gutters on this portion of the street. However, another lane change is coming to this section.
'The current plan is to switch all traffic from Avenue Q to Avenue U to the new westbound lane in the next couple of weeks and once they do that, they can begin work on the storm water system and water tie-ins on the eastbound side,' Coronado said.
While most of the water system is completed, Coronado said crews are also working on portions of it from Avenue U to Avenue X on 19th Street.
However, once completed, the road will be paved with the first layer of the final process.
University Avenue to Memphis Avenue (In front of Texas Tech, Covenant Health)
'That really just consists of crews placing road signs, stuff like regulatory signs, speed limit signs, stuff like that,' Coronado said.
However, all major road work has been completed and is just awaiting the final road treatment that TxDOT will put on all three sections at the same time when all work has been completed.
Final completion of this project is expected to be in March 2026.
Once all is said and done, Coronado said TxDOT will turn over control and maintenance of 19th Street to the City of Lubbock.
Unlike 19th Street, Coronado said the project to build the new Loop 88 south and west of Lubbock is on track, for now.
This project has an asterisk. It is divided into four sections, each with various phases, all dependent on one major thing — funding from the state and federal government.
Coronado said TxDOT is focusing on Section 3 of Loop 88, specifically phases:
3A — Off 130th Street from Avenue U to Memphis Avenue.
3B — Off 130th Street from Memphis Avenue to Chicago Avenue.
'They continue to pave the main lanes on Loop 88,' Coronado said. 'That's basically the bulk of the work that they're doing now is the bridge deck pours, working on the medians at the intersections, at the bridge intersections, and working on paving those main lanes on Loop 88.'
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The completion of 3A and 3B is expected to be in 2026, with section 3C starting to accept contractor bids in October 2026. However, there are three additional sections after 3C that would still need to be completed.
'It is estimated that Segment 3 will take anywhere from 15-20 years to complete; if funding is available,' said Coronado.
On top of that, there are three other main sections where work hasn't even started:
Sections 1 and 2 — US 84 (Shallowater) to US 62/82 (Wolfforth).
Section 4 — US 87 (South Lubbock) to US 84 (Slaton).
For more information on the Loop 88 and 19th Street projects, visit www.txdot.gov/projects.
Mateo Rosiles is the Government & Public Policy reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Got a news tip for him? Email him: [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: TxDOT to complete 19th Street in Lubbock soon, Loop 88 in next decades