When exiting for Highway 351, it's as if the exit ramp never ends. That's why the mayor has asked TxDOT to move the ramp closer to the highway. And business owners are right there with him.
"Especially just for independent businesses like us to make it nowadays," said Oscar Avila, who owns Oscar's Mexican Restaurant. "So we need all the help we can."
Oscar picked the location for his Mexican restaurant specifically for the interstate traffic. But around lunch time, the seats for those customers remain empty.
"There's only two exits," he explained. "You're going to Exit 288 and then the next one. And if you don't know it, you're going to keep on going to Merkel or wherever."
TxDOT says they are open to working with the city and businesses in the area, But that ramps like Exit 288 are built longer for safety reasons.
"When you go from a high-speed roadway to a lower-speed runway like a frontage road, it is helpful to have that longer length to reduce weaving," said Darah Waldrip, public information officer for TxDOT.
But for Oscar, it makes sense why there should be more direct exit ramps to Highway 351.
"I think we can get business from off the interstate like we're supposed to be," he said. "Everybody benefits; Dallas, Fort Worth, Weatherford, everybody benefits from the interstate. We don't. Not this exit."
"Especially just for independent businesses like us to make it nowadays," said Oscar Avila, who owns Oscar's Mexican Restaurant. "So we need all the help we can."
Oscar picked the location for his Mexican restaurant specifically for the interstate traffic. But around lunch time, the seats for those customers remain empty.
"There's only two exits," he explained. "You're going to Exit 288 and then the next one. And if you don't know it, you're going to keep on going to Merkel or wherever."
TxDOT says they are open to working with the city and businesses in the area, But that ramps like Exit 288 are built longer for safety reasons.
"When you go from a high-speed roadway to a lower-speed runway like a frontage road, it is helpful to have that longer length to reduce weaving," said Darah Waldrip, public information officer for TxDOT.
But for Oscar, it makes sense why there should be more direct exit ramps to Highway 351.
"I think we can get business from off the interstate like we're supposed to be," he said. "Everybody benefits; Dallas, Fort Worth, Weatherford, everybody benefits from the interstate. We don't. Not this exit."
