Maintenance crews on Monday are scheduled to begin several days of seal coat operations on U.S. 259 in Longview, between Loop 281 and FM 1844, according to a Texas Department of Transportation news release. In Rusk County, resurfacing operations continue on FM 1798 south of Henderson, between U.S. 79 south of Henderson and FM 225 in Laneville.

The Atlanta District, which includes Harrison, Upshur, Marion and Panola counties, announced Friday that about 131 miles of state highways will receive new surfaces next summer.

The Texas Transportation Commission approved a bid of $5.2 million from J-W Payne Construction Company of New Boston to seal coat highways in nine counties located within the Atlanta District, spokesman Marcus Sandifer said.

"Seal coating a highway involves placing a layer of hot asphalt over the old pavement and then covering it with crushed stone," said Robert H. Ratcliff, District Engineer in Atlanta. "This process makes the roadway surface watertight and improves skid resistance."

The road projects include portions of Texas 11 in Camp County; Texas 8, Texas 49, FM 2612 and FM 2328 in Cass County; Texas 43 and FM 968 in Harrison County; Texas 43 and Texas 49 in Marion County; Texas 11 and U.S. 259 in Morris County; FM 31, FM 1794 and FM 2517 in Panola County; U.S. 271 and FM 21 in Titus County; and U.S. 80, U.S. 259 and FM 1649 in Upshur County.