On Feb. 12, the Texas Department of Transportation hosted a public forum to discuss and answer questions for the community regarding expansion plans of FM 830 from Old Montgomery Road to Hwy. 75.
TxDOT is currently proposing widening FM 830 from two lanes to four lanes from Old Montgomery Road to Hwy. 75. As previously reported by Community Impact, the widening effort has been in development since 2022. The reasoning behind the expansion stems from research TxDOT has conducted regarding vehicle collisions and population growth in the area, according to TxDOT meeting documents.
In a nutshell
According to TxDOT, the section of roadway saw an average of 13,500 vehicles per day in 2020 and is estimated to grow to 21,400 vehicles per day in 2045.
TxDOT crash data from 2017-2022 shows that there have been 71 total crashes in the area since 2017, with 54% of them being rear-end collisions and 42% of crashes happening at intersections.
The entire length of the proposed project is 2.5 miles, according to meeting documents. In addition to adding two more lanes, TxDOT also plans to add a 10-foot-wide shared-use path along the north side of the roadway and 5-foot-wide sidewalks on the south side.
TxDOT will also address the flooding that occurs in the area by adding four detention ponds to collect and drain rainwater, according to the meeting documents.
The estimated total cost for the expansion project is $22 million, according to meeting documents. The funding will come from a combination of federal and state funding; however, the funding has not been officially allocated for the improvements yet.
The local impact
When the project was first proposed back in May 2022, TxDOT held a meeting to see what locals wanted the construction to address. The three major concerns expressed by the public were as follows:
- Ensuring accessibility to neighborhoods and businesses
- Reducing congestion at school drop-off and pick-up points
- Communicating existing safety concerns
Taking in the feedback, TxDOT made changes to the project to address these needs, according to the meeting documents. These changes include:
- Adding flush and raised medians
- Adding Median breaks for left and right turns
- Refining the design to reduce impacts to adjacent properties
TxDOT has also planned to address the impact the future construction will have on the community, both environmentally and through traffic noise. According to meeting documents, TxDOT has begun multiple ongoing environmental studies to address possible community impacts such as air quality, traffic noise and water resources. Once completed, any technical reports documenting the conclusions of the studies will be available for review on request.
In order to address the possible noise pollution stemming from the project, TxDOT plans on installing a 12-foot-tall noise barrier, which would extend from North Teralyn Hills Drive to the western entrance of Meador Elementary, with a break for Teralyn Woods Parkway, according to meeting documents.
Looking ahead
TxDOT is planning on reviewing more public comments from its Feb. 12 meeting regarding the expansion of FM 830 before funding and construction are finalized. Any residents interested in submitting their own comments can do so here; the deadline for comments is Feb. 27.