The Texas Department of Transportation will host a virtual meeting Feb. 10 and a public meeting Feb. 12 regarding expansion plans for the FM 830 roadway. This project would widen the stretch of road to four lanes as well as increase pedestrian safety and drainage, according to TxDOT’s project website.
How we got here
FM 830 from Old Montgomery Road to Hwy. 75 is the stretch of road that the TxDOT is hoping to improve. This section sees a large influx of traffic daily and serves as the entrance and exit to multiple schools, the Panorama Village and multiple different subdivisions, according to TxDOT.
According to data gathered by TxDOT, the section of roadway saw an average of 13,500 vehicles a day in 2020 and is estimated to see 21,400 vehicles per day in 2045. A study was also conducted analyzing vehicle crash data from 2017-20 and discovered that the project corridor showed high crash density throughout.
There was an initial meeting held in 2022 that sought to get public feedback on the FM 380 corridor. A common criticism given was business and neighborhood accessibility, congestion, and safety concerns, according to TxDOT.
Mapping it out
To address the concerns of locals, TxDOT has proposed the following changes to FM 830. The project’s timeline is yet to be finalized.
- Widen FM 380 from two to four lanes
- Add a 5-foot sidewalk and a 10-foot shared path for bikes and pedestrians
- Add four detention ponds to help with drainage
The length of the project is 2.5 miles, and an estimated 14.4 acres of right of way will be needed to implement these changes, according to TxDOT. The estimated cost for the entire project is approximately $22 million.
Check this out
The meetings to address these issues will be held Feb. 10 and 12. The virtual meeting will be Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. on the project’s official website, and the Feb. 12 meeting will be held from 5-7 p.m. at Robert B. Brabham Middle School at 10000 FM 830, Willis.