I am happy to report that we finally have some GOOD news about FM 407 at I-35W. Our County Judge Andy Eads and County Commissioner Dianne Edmondson pulled every string they could find. We will be getting a 407 Micro-Breakout project. This represents just a small portion of the 407 breakout project we have been working on, which is currently experiencing delays due to utility relocations and the TxDOT letting schedule.
This will add additional lanes east and west under the bridge, making two lanes east and two lanes west with the same center short turn lanes. This will allow additional traffic flow under the bridge when the turn lanes get backed up. Additionally, the 407 eastbound to 35W southbound on-ramp turn lane will be extended further west. Finally, the southbound 35W exit ramp will get an additional lane along with additional pavement on the northbound side of 407.
While these are temporary fixes, it will help speed up the construction cycle when the 407 breakout is ready to move forward. I am extremely grateful to our partners in the county for making this come to fruition.
You may have noticed a new traffic light at Gibbs Road and Robson Ranch Road. The county partnered with the City of Denton to get this new light designed, installed and operational in just a few short months. This is the fastest I have ever seen a project go from a thought to finished. Commissioner Edmondson really did an excellent job helping both of our communities with this project. This improvement should reduce accidents at the intersection, but continue to drive carefully since some people may not be familiar with the new traffic light and further lane work is expected soon.
Outside of Northlake’s boundaries, you may have heard that an HEB grocery is coming to the northwest corner of 35W and Robson Ranch Road. This will cause additional traffic concerns that may not be in our town but will drastically affect our residents. I have been collaborating with Commissioner Edmondson and other local leaders to push for other breakout road projects where it is possible to help minimize the impact that the City of Denton and the Landmark development will have on our residents. On a similar note, HEB has purchased property in the future Furst Ranch development near the northeast corner of Hwy 377 and FM 1171. I learned recently that there will soon be a connector road between Canyon Falls Drive at 377 cutting through Furst Ranch and intersecting with 1171 further to east. This should be coming within the next year.
We are all concerned about the difficulty of mobility in our region. Even small improvements should bring significant results, and we are always looking for the next thing to help you get to work and back home.
I encourage you to learn more about your local government. Come out and visit us at the next council meeting on Oct. 9th at 5:30 p.m. As always, I am happy to answer any questions, you can email me directly at [email protected].
