- 12th Street to Loop 340.

- Will widen from 6 to 8 lanes.

- Will reconfigure entrance ramps, exit ramps, and service roads around 18th, Valley Mills, Primrose, and New Road.

- Construction planned to take around two years.

State and Waco officials originally planned a 10 year break but there is extra money available in the state budget soooo….we gotta spend it, right?


https://wacotrib.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/next-phase-i-35-work-in-waco-could-start-next-year-mpo-seeks-public-input/article_4dcf0c2e-0c89-11ee-80d7-dbe204bcf0ce.html?utm_source=wacotrib.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletter-templates%2Feedition&utm_medium=PostUp&lctg=5071658&tn_email_eh1=b3f1da369a45cdc5f61a7eda01fd49ad76001a76

Can't wait for that mess to begin.

That stretch of I-35 will get reconstructed eventually, so the matter is whether Wacons want to endure another 2 (possibly more) years of construction on I-35 now or later. We can either delay the complaining or just start it sooner and get it over with is how I see it.

Side note: I'm curious to see how they handle the Valley Mills intersection. It's a unique road layout.

I believe the original plan was to start phase 2 when phase 1 was completed then phase 2 was delayed. Now it appears the delay has been moved up to almost the original time frame.

A little burnt out on I-35 construction in Waco. It was the bridges at the river, then north of the river, then downtown. And before all that, it was south of Waco. As a local, we went right from all of that to the Loop 340 expansion which is a mess and won't be done for at least a year. Now we want to start the I-35 mess again?

Frankly, the proposed area isn't even a congestion issue at the moment. I never see traffic backing up there.

I'd vote to delay for at least a few years, personally, just so we didn't have to endure the chaos. It's basically been one solid construction zone (I-35/Loop 340) for nearly a decade.

My biggest problem with all of this is that they wind up taking away more entrances and exits. There are too few now to make I-35 useful for local residents. For example if you get on the frontage road at MLK going south you can't get on the freeway until 8th street. That's not right.

If you come from Robinson on the loop and exit to go I-45 North you can't get on the Freeway until you're past New Road. Traffic Engineers' hostility to local traffic is astounding and should not be tolerated.

I have not seen the plan. Does it include completion of the interchange at 340 and I-45? Does it eliminate going through the Circle if you are going north and want to exit to Valley Mills? I hope it does those at least.

BaylorGuy314 said:

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A little burnt out on I-35 construction in Waco. It was the bridges at the river, then north of the river, then downtown. And before all that, it was south of Waco. As a local, we went right from all of that to the Loop 340 expansion which is a mess and won't be done for at least a year. Now we want to start the I-35 mess again?

Frankly, the proposed area isn't even a congestion issue at the moment. I never see traffic backing up there.

I'd vote to delay for at least a few years, personally, just so we didn't have to endure the chaos. It's basically been one solid construction zone (I-35/Loop 340) for nearly a decade.

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Southbound will back up around the Baylor area, Valley Mills and New Road/Loop 340 exits on various days. Nothing major, more of an inconvenient slow down during "rush hour". Every now and then an accident will happen.

When they did the original expansion, I was surprised, even disappointed, that they didn't extend it all the way to Loop 340. I believe that it will be a critical completion for this stretch of 35.

It will be an inconvenience for that time, but in the long run, Waco will be better off when completed.

Back in February, both TxDOT and the Waco MPO finally committed (after years of feet-dragging) to securing the funding for, and implementing the completion of East Loop 340 (4 lane divided with service roads and overpasses) in the next round of local highway projects.

Loop 340 widening through Bellmead eyed for next round of state funding

When the first phase of I-35 construction was occurring I can't tell you how many people told me that they couldn't believe the Loop wasn't completed first in order to eliminate the 2-lane with traffic light mess that is the current East Loop 340.

Will the I-35 expansion push now sweep the East Loop 340 project aside yet again?

baylorguy09 said:

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Honestly can't complain as long as they get the same contractor to do the work. They finished the 1st phase in record time.
It took them forever to finish Temple and Salado section.

The completed Waco section finished ahead of schedule. They just need to get it done. I hope all this road construction pays off in the long run. Waco has been a construction nightmare for a long time now.

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They had the benefit of COVID keeping a lot of people off the roads in order to get ahead of schedule for the initial phase through downtown. I highly doubt even the same contractor will be afforded similar timeliness again.

All I want is my dadgum flyover(s) for Highway 6 and 84. Also, high/low bridge situation for Franklin/New Road would be spectacular as well, that intersection is such a hot mess. Should have been remedied years ago.

SteamedHams said:

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All I want is my dadgum flyover(s) for Highway 6 and 84. Also, high/low bridge situation for Franklin/New Road would be spectacular as well, that intersection is such a hot mess. Should have been remedied years ago.

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looks like a good place for a round a bout..

CorsicanaBear said:

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My biggest problem with all of this is that they wind up taking away more entrances and exits. There are too few now to make I-35 useful for local residents. For example if you get on the frontage road at MLK going south you can't get on the freeway until 8th street. That's not right.

If you come from Robinson on the loop and exit to go I-45 North you can't get on the Freeway until you're past New Road. Traffic Engineers' hostility to local traffic is astounding and should not be tolerated.

I have not seen the plan. Does it include completion of the interchange at 340 and I-45? Does it eliminate going through the Circle if you are going north and want to exit to Valley Mills? I hope it does those at least.

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If you are at any of the fast food places across from campus and beyond the McDonald's, then want to head south to Valley Mills and the HEB, the next on ramp is past 18th street, where you don't need to bother to get on 35 because you're getting off a few hundred yards further. Once they start to tear up south of 12th, this will only get worse.

Does anyone know how long the construction between the 2 malls is going to take?

UBBY said:

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Does anyone know how long the construction between the 2 malls is going to take?

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What;s worse is that it will coincide with rebuilds of both Highways 6 and 84.

84 work starts in 2027 and will involve a reconstruction of the 6/84 interchange.

The decision to separate the construction into 2 parts rather than pulling off the band-aide and doing it all at once was short sided and likely most costly.

I have sworn that the day I-35 is completed I will be on my way home from my last day of work.

Grumpy said:

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I have sworn that the day I-35 is completed I will be on my way home from my last day of work.

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It will NEVER be finished. About 30 years ago my mom was quipped, "From Dallas to San Antonio, I've never seen I-35 NOT under construction."

The contractor all have kids. They want their kids to have a shot at the money too.

Coke Bear said:

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Grumpy said:

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I have sworn that the day I-35 is completed I will be on my way home from my last day of work.

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It will NEVER be finished. About 30 years ago my mom was quipped, "From Dallas to San Antonio, I've never seen I-35 NOT under construction."

The contractor all have kids. They want their kids to have a shot at the money too.

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I started at Baylor in 1988 and was from Tyler, so I-35 construction did not impact me.

But, I started dating a Baylor girl from Oklahoma City in 1989. I went to meet her parents in OKC that year and there was construction on I-35 in Texas and also in Oklahoma at the time.

I married that girl (just had our 30th anniversary) and have lived in Oklahoma since 1994. We make several trips a year every year to Waco. There have been maybe 5 trips down I-35 in those 33 years that have not had an area that was shut down to one lane each way and had a backup.


Right now, there are two slowdowns in Oklahoma, one in Gainesville, and one in north Fort Worth.

Edmond Bear said:

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Coke Bear said:

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Grumpy said:

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I have sworn that the day I-35 is completed I will be on my way home from my last day of work.

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It will NEVER be finished. About 30 years ago my mom was quipped, "From Dallas to San Antonio, I've never seen I-35 NOT under construction."

The contractor all have kids. They want their kids to have a shot at the money too.

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I started at Baylor in 1988 and was from Tyler, so I-35 construction did not impact me.

But, I started dating a Baylor girl from Oklahoma City in 1989. I went to meet her parents in OKC that year and there was construction on I-35 in Texas and also in Oklahoma at the time.

I married that girl (just had our 30th anniversary) and have lived in Oklahoma since 1994. We make several trips a year every year to Waco. There have been maybe 5 trips down I-35 in those 33 years that have not had an area that was shut down to one lane each way and had a backup.


Right now, there are two slowdowns in Oklahoma, one in Gainesville, and one in north Fort Worth.

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I think people sleep on how bad the traffic is in Tyler. When the loop/Broadway area gets fouled up or congested, it makes driving down Valley Mills look like you're on a deserted toll road.

SteamedHams said:

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Edmond Bear said:

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Coke Bear said:

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Grumpy said:

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I have sworn that the day I-35 is completed I will be on my way home from my last day of work.

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It will NEVER be finished. About 30 years ago my mom was quipped, "From Dallas to San Antonio, I've never seen I-35 NOT under construction."

The contractor all have kids. They want their kids to have a shot at the money too.

---

I started at Baylor in 1988 and was from Tyler, so I-35 construction did not impact me.

But, I started dating a Baylor girl from Oklahoma City in 1989. I went to meet her parents in OKC that year and there was construction on I-35 in Texas and also in Oklahoma at the time.

I married that girl (just had our 30th anniversary) and have lived in Oklahoma since 1994. We make several trips a year every year to Waco. There have been maybe 5 trips down I-35 in those 33 years that have not had an area that was shut down to one lane each way and had a backup.


Right now, there are two slowdowns in Oklahoma, one in Gainesville, and one in north Fort Worth.

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I think people sleep on how bad the traffic is in Tyler. When the loop/Broadway area gets fouled up or congested, it makes driving down Valley Mills look like you're on a deserted toll road.

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Agree. My parents stayed in Tyler and we've been there a bunch. Broadway is really really bad.

Side note, my dad just moved from Tyler to Waco two weeks ago. My mom passed several years ago and he recently married a young Baylor girl...well, she's young (in her 70's) compared to an 84 year old.

Edmond Bear said:

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SteamedHams said:

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Edmond Bear said:

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Coke Bear said:

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Grumpy said:

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I have sworn that the day I-35 is completed I will be on my way home from my last day of work.

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It will NEVER be finished. About 30 years ago my mom was quipped, "From Dallas to San Antonio, I've never seen I-35 NOT under construction."

The contractor all have kids. They want their kids to have a shot at the money too.

---

I started at Baylor in 1988 and was from Tyler, so I-35 construction did not impact me.

But, I started dating a Baylor girl from Oklahoma City in 1989. I went to meet her parents in OKC that year and there was construction on I-35 in Texas and also in Oklahoma at the time.

I married that girl (just had our 30th anniversary) and have lived in Oklahoma since 1994. We make several trips a year every year to Waco. There have been maybe 5 trips down I-35 in those 33 years that have not had an area that was shut down to one lane each way and had a backup.


Right now, there are two slowdowns in Oklahoma, one in Gainesville, and one in north Fort Worth.

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I think people sleep on how bad the traffic is in Tyler. When the loop/Broadway area gets fouled up or congested, it makes driving down Valley Mills look like you're on a deserted toll road.

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Agree. My parents stayed in Tyler and we've been there a bunch. Broadway is really really bad.

Side note, my dad just moved from Tyler to Waco two weeks ago. My mom passed several years ago and he recently married a young Baylor girl...well, she's young (in her 70's) compared to an 84 year old.

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Scandalous! Condolences on your mom...but glad your dad has been able to continue on, with a fresh spry Baylor gal to boot. L-I-V-I-N.

My wife's family is all from the Tyler/Kilgore area and we sojourn down Hwy 31 every other month or so, and every time we stay in Tyler I just am aghast at how terrible it is to drive in compared to Waco.

Edmond Bear said:

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Coke Bear said:

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Grumpy said:

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I have sworn that the day I-35 is completed I will be on my way home from my last day of work.

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It will NEVER be finished. About 30 years ago my mom was quipped, "From Dallas to San Antonio, I've never seen I-35 NOT under construction."

The contractor all have kids. They want their kids to have a shot at the money too.

---

Right now, there are two slowdowns in Oklahoma, one in Gainesville, and one in north Fort Worth.

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North Ft Worth stretch of 35W is brutal; An accident waiting to happen. As an added bonus, 35E/Stemmons is in the early stages of a big project between LBJ and George Bush thru Carrollton/Farmers Branch.

Big12Bear said:

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Edmond Bear said:

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Coke Bear said:

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Grumpy said:

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I have sworn that the day I-35 is completed I will be on my way home from my last day of work.

---

It will NEVER be finished. About 30 years ago my mom was quipped, "From Dallas to San Antonio, I've never seen I-35 NOT under construction."

The contractor all have kids. They want their kids to have a shot at the money too.

---

Right now, there are two slowdowns in Oklahoma, one in Gainesville, and one in north Fort Worth.

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North Ft Worth stretch of 35W is brutal; An accident waiting to happen. As an added bonus, 35E/Stemmons is in the early stages of a big project between LBJ and George Bush thru Carrollton/Farmers Branch.

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35 south in Ft Worth from 820 thru 30 is a hot mess most of the time

It looks like the flyover will from 84 to hwy 6 will start in 2025 or 2027. Crickets on when loop 340 to bellmead will start.

UBBY said:

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It looks like the flyover will from 84 to hwy 6 will start in 2025 or 2027. Crickets on when loop 340 to bellmead will start.

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I'll chip in $20 if we can move that flyover construction to tomorrow

SteamedHams said:

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UBBY said:

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It looks like the flyover will from 84 to hwy 6 will start in 2025 or 2027. Crickets on when loop 340 to bellmead will start.

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I'll chip in $20 if we can move that flyover construction to tomorrow

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you say that now but you really want the main 6 work and the service roads have to be done first

4th and Inches said:

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SteamedHams said:

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UBBY said:

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It looks like the flyover will from 84 to hwy 6 will start in 2025 or 2027. Crickets on when loop 340 to bellmead will start.

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I'll chip in $20 if we can move that flyover construction to tomorrow

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you say that now but you really want the main 6 work and the service roads have to be done first

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The highway 6 exit on 84 was so backed up this morning, I had to stay on Franklin to Valley Mills, like a peasant.

SteamedHams said:

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4th and Inches said:

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SteamedHams said:

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UBBY said:

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It looks like the flyover will from 84 to hwy 6 will start in 2025 or 2027. Crickets on when loop 340 to bellmead will start.

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I'll chip in $20 if we can move that flyover construction to tomorrow

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you say that now but you really want the main 6 work and the service roads have to be done first

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The highway 6 exit on 84 was so backed up this morning, I had to stay on Franklin to Valley Mills, like a peasant.

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i know.. it sucks

They could solve alot by backing up the off ramp

Graduated in 85 and moved to Dallas. Has had construction the entire time (between Waco and Dallas on 35).

Have told friends if I die, to drive to Waco the next day. It will be construction free.

(Or else I'm living forever.)

Correct. Think of 84 and 340 as one project. The loop comes first in order to align the access roads correctly. The only thing that is really going to be painful is 84 and 35 going on at the same time. Those are the two major north to south thoroughfares through Waco. (Yes, 84 actually runs SW to NE through Waco.) I think that is why 35 has to be expedited.