City of Midland officials will mark the completion of the Fairgrounds Road project with a ceremonial activation of the traffic signal at Fairgrounds Road and Wadley Avenue on Friday, Dec. 9.
The recent improvements increase capacity on Fairgrounds Road from the original two lanes to five lanes for a distance of approximately 1.3 miles, from Pecan Avenue to Loop 250, creating a continuous five-lane roadway from Business Interstate 20 to Loop 250. Sidewalks on both sides of Fairgrounds Road between Pecan and Wadley Avenue, in addition to new traffic signals, cross walks, and pedestrian ramps at the Fairgrounds Road and Wadley intersection will make the area safer and more accessible for pedestrians. Recreational opportunities are also available through an off-street hike and bike path that runs parallel to Fairgrounds Road north of Wadley Avenue.
"The impact of this project to Midland and the transportation community will be enormous as we continue to grow," said Engineering Director Jose Ortiz.
This project was a collaborative effort between the City of Midland, TxDOT and the Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organization. Approximately $3.4 million in funds were provided by the City of Midland, and federal funding accounted for another $2.8 million of the project’s total cost of about $6.2 million.
TxDOT has plans to begin construction of an overpass on Loop 250 at Fairgrounds Road as early as summer 2017. The overpass was named a top priority by the Permian Basin MPO Policy Board for next year, and will receive funding from the federal, state and local levels. The overpass project is estimated at this time to cost $20.6 million.
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Media Contact: Engineering Director Jose Ortiz