The FM 1385 road project could receive nearly $40 million in state funding if approved.
The project is split into three phases with the intent to widen FM 1385 from two lanes to six.
“[The Texas Department of Transportation] entrusted the design portion of the FM 1385 project a few years ago to Denton County in an effort to keep it moving,” according to a statement by Denton County Commissioner Ryan Williams, Precinct 1. “Because of that partnership, the Texas Transportation Commission, TxDOT Dallas and the Regional Transportation Council were able to allocate $38 million in new funding towards widening FM 1385 from U.S. 380 to Union Park Boulevard.”
The Precinct 1 Transportation Report states that the estimated construction cost for Phase 1 on FM 1385 is slightly over $39 million in the latest report released in June.
“I'm excited about any movement that would show interest in 1385,” Pilot Point Mayor Chad Major said. “You have to walk before you run.”
Aubrey Mayor Chris Rich shared a similar sentiment.
“It's great that they've got something, and if they're going to break it into phases, I assume they're going to have to do them in order, so if they're doing one, that means two is next,” Rich said. “At least we're moving in the right direction.”
The press release added that Denton County and TxDOT will continue to work together to move utilities out of the vicinity swiftly to help with construction efforts in that portion.
“While we work on that, we will continue our efforts to get more portions of FM 1385 and FM 2931 funded as well,” the press release stated.
The next phase in the FM 1385 project is Phase 2 from Union Park Boulevard to north of Mustang Road, and Phase 3 will be from north of Mustang Road to FM 455.
“The Universal Transportation Program, or UTP, is a 10-year working document, and it is extremely rare to see new projects receive potential new funding, especially as spending levels are trending downward,” said Paul Slough, the district director for Rep. Jared Patterson.
He added that, for the funding to be approved, the next step is for TxDOT’s Texas Transportation Commission members, a group of five people appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, to vote to approve the funding, which is expected to happen in August.
“This is one step of a hundred more that still needs to occur on the back end, assuming that they approve this vote,” Slough said. “It's not going to be a shovel in the dirt tomorrow after they take the vote. … They still have things they have to accomplish.”
Before the vote happens, there will be an opportunity for public comment during the virtual hearing at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Comments can be submitted via email at [email protected], by telephone or by mail to TxDOT directly until Aug. 3.
Additional information, including the link to the live stream, can be found on txdot. gov.
“With this rare exception of additional funding being added to a new project, the encouragement is for people to use that public comment period to really voice their support continually, as they've done before, for this project,” Slough said.
