What a nightmare.

Welcome to 5-10 years of hell

as someone who has to drive from harker heights to waco on a daily basis....oh joy...

TxDot is also starting their 190 project from Fort Hood to Killeen...I35 and 190 will be Charlie Foxtrot for the next few years

drove to McGregor last night to watch the SB at a friends house. i see all the construction and think.... crap. this is really going to suck when it hits Temple. Like I really am thinking of moving just to not have to screw w/ 35 driving over the next few years.

I35 needs the work. I think some of it is the original c.1950 road installed when the interstate highway system was born.

There are still curb and gutter stretches of I35 in Central Texas.

But it will still suck for several years. Ugh.

I take 317 every chance I get. I live in China Spring and work in killeen almost everyday. It's a lot easier and less stressful to cruise the country than deal with the I35 cluster...

i live in north temple and work in downtown Belton

if holiday or Cotton Bowl weekends are any indicator, I might start taking 2305 to 317.

2305 & 317 will just get worse with new elementary opening in the fall. Maybe 95 to 93 (Taylor's Valley) would be better?

So basically the whole area is about to be one big TxDot pain in the ass...





[This message has been edited by Captain Pablo (edited 2/4/2013 5:26p).]

Pretty much.

Good friend works for them. I know it's necessary but I still hate him.

Interestingly we were talking about the closures and they are not allowed to have lane closures holiday weekends.... and tu/OU weekends.

As for 317 and 2305, I don't think it'll make traffic that much worse. Better hopefully. If anything we won't have Windmill Farms people leaving the neighborhood take kids to school as the entrance will be through there. Moffet kids won't drive west of 317. May just be the BISD koolaide talking though.

[This message has been edited by C-jags (edited 2/4/2013 10:28p).]

But 35 is going to be shut down from the south loop to the north loop? That's why they are expanding the north loop to divert traffic I thought. It all has to go to 6 lanes.

I don't think they can (or would) shut down a whole side. I'll ask my TxDoT friend.

[This message has been edited by c-jags (edited 2/5/2013 9:31a).]

jags, I go to a small group church meeting in far north Temple once a week. Take Industrial to the loop then you can cut to 317 on either airport road or 2305.

that's the plan.

c-jags jr. goes to one of the 2305 schools so it's on the way anyways.

No way they close it completely. Also, I think I read it is going to 8 lanes through town.

Anyone who wants to "inside" info, PM me...I was part of both design teams for the IH35 and US190 projects.

working w/ TxDoT or James construction?

Neither...consultant designer on both projects.

8 lanes loop to loop in temple (and waco) ultimately. 317 is also close to expanding to 4 lanes in the stretch from Walmart north to the Leon.

317 needs to be expanded all the way to 2305. Why only the Belton stretch and not the temple stretch too? That road has always been dangerous.

[This message has been edited by mazzag (edited 2/8/2013 7:18a).]

AggieBax,

How long will it take to complete the Temple project?




[This message has been edited by Captain Pablo (edited 2/8/2013 7:18a).]

Mazz-

I'm sure 317 will eventually get done north of the river but I think they ran out of money in the budget. Redoing the bridge at the river is a huge cost they get to push off by just doing the belton side.

That makes sense

Talked to my TxDoT buddy at church today. Will definitely start this year. And the "good" news is that no part will be shut down and no part will have less than 2 lanes at any point. Only time they will slow traffic is if they have workers on both sides of the freeway. Hope that calms some fears.

Ask him why temple is expanding the north loop past 36 all the way to 35.

Not his area actually. He's in charge of the bruceville Eddy to Troy section.

I think the loop will be great once complete. It will be the fastest way to get to west temple from 35.