Reminder: TxDOT and Abilene MPO Host Meeting to Discuss Frontage Road Projects
By: Press Release
Updated: January 24, 2013
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Abilene Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) will host a public meeting January 24 to discuss upcoming projects to convert two-way frontage roads to one-way operation on US 83/84 and Loop 322.
The US 83/84 project will convert about 3 miles of frontage roads from Canyon Rock Road to FM 707. Work will also include closing a crossover at Iberis Road for safety reasons. The frontage roads between FM 707 and Iberis Road will remain two-way to maintain access for properties in that location.
The Loop 322 project plan calls for work along four miles of frontage road from Maple Street to SH 36, but current funding allows only the segment from Maple to FM 1750 to be completed as part of this project. If funds allow, some work on the remaining portion may be done in preparation for its eventual completion.
In addition to converting the frontage roads to one-way operation, work would include building turnarounds at major intersections, modifying some ramps and adding a crossover structure at Lytle Creek (pending available funding).
The upcoming projects are high priorities for the MPO and TxDOT because of the safety benefits provided by one-way frontage roads. With the ongoing frontage road project on I-20, the upcoming work will bring more consistency to the frontage road system in Abilene and will be comparable to most frontage road systems statewide.
Estimated costs to complete all segments are about $12 million, with $8.121 million currently available. TxDOT and the MPO are each providing about $4 million for the upcoming work.
These projects have been accelerated by several years due to unanticipated funding that became available in 2012 through the Texas Transportation Commission.
Construction cost savings, bond proceeds and federal funding allowed the Commission to allocate an additional $2 billion across the state for high priority projects. TxDOT's Abilene District and the Abilene MPO pooled their allocations to move the frontage road projects forward.
The public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 24 in the Women's Center Conference Room at Abilene Regional Medical Center. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.
The US 83/84 project will convert about 3 miles of frontage roads from Canyon Rock Road to FM 707. Work will also include closing a crossover at Iberis Road for safety reasons. The frontage roads between FM 707 and Iberis Road will remain two-way to maintain access for properties in that location.
The Loop 322 project plan calls for work along four miles of frontage road from Maple Street to SH 36, but current funding allows only the segment from Maple to FM 1750 to be completed as part of this project. If funds allow, some work on the remaining portion may be done in preparation for its eventual completion.
In addition to converting the frontage roads to one-way operation, work would include building turnarounds at major intersections, modifying some ramps and adding a crossover structure at Lytle Creek (pending available funding).
The upcoming projects are high priorities for the MPO and TxDOT because of the safety benefits provided by one-way frontage roads. With the ongoing frontage road project on I-20, the upcoming work will bring more consistency to the frontage road system in Abilene and will be comparable to most frontage road systems statewide.
Estimated costs to complete all segments are about $12 million, with $8.121 million currently available. TxDOT and the MPO are each providing about $4 million for the upcoming work.
These projects have been accelerated by several years due to unanticipated funding that became available in 2012 through the Texas Transportation Commission.
Construction cost savings, bond proceeds and federal funding allowed the Commission to allocate an additional $2 billion across the state for high priority projects. TxDOT's Abilene District and the Abilene MPO pooled their allocations to move the frontage road projects forward.
The public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 24 in the Women's Center Conference Room at Abilene Regional Medical Center. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.
