https://www.wacotrib.com/news/roads/state-panel-loop-mall-to-mall-project-a-go-next/article_86f99910-99d9-516d-9df5-c51fada99833.html

The Texas Transportation Commission has green-lighted $98.5 million worth of Waco-area road projects for the next decade, but widening another stretch of Interstate 35 is not one of them.

The commission approved a Unified Transportation Plan Thursday that divvies up more than $77 billion in projected state highway funds for the next 10 years. The plan is updated yearly.
Commissioners approved five projects in Greater Waco, including two up for funding next year.

The biggest chunk would go to the $40 million "mall-to-mall" project, which would upgrade Loop 340 between Highway 84 and Interstate 35. The project would create continuous frontage roads along the loop, replace and upgrade ramps, and create new overpasses.

The project was the top priority of the Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization, which plans transportation improvements in Greater Waco and controls some Texas Department of Transportation money. The work is up for funding in 2020.

Also at the front of the line is the $8 million widening of Highway 6 between McLaughlin Road and Farm-to-Market Road 185, also known as North River Crossing. The road would expand from two lanes to five.
The three other projects are set to be funded no earlier than 2024, which makes funding availability somewhat less certain, MPO director Chris Evilia said. Those projects are as follows:

• Widening Loop 340 to four lanes from Highway 84 in Bellmead to Marlin Highway, at a cost of $23.5 million
• Realigning Franklin Avenue between New Road and Lake Air Drive to eliminate frontage roads, while constructing an interchange at New Road. The cost is estimated at $11 million

• Widening Spring Valley Road between Hewitt Drive and Sun Valley Boulevard, with left turn lane, shoulders and curb and gutters, at a cost of $16 million.

Another top priority for the MPO rebuilding and expanding Interstate 35 to eight lanes from 12th Street to South Loop 340 did not make it into the plan. The section, known as 4C, was cut from the ongoing I-35 project in Waco for budgetary reasons. The most recent projections show it would cost $240 million to build.

The Loop 340 project in Bellmead is 70% designed, but transportation officials are holding off on construction until the current I-35 construction project is finished, Evilia said.

UBBY said:

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https://www.wacotrib.com/news/roads/state-panel-loop-mall-to-mall-project-a-go-next/article_86f99910-99d9-516d-9df5-c51fada99833.html


The biggest chunk would go to the $40 million "mall-to-mall" project, which would upgrade Loop 340 between Highway 84 and Interstate 35. The project would create continuous frontage roads along the loop, replace and upgrade ramps, and create new overpasses.

The project was the top priority of the Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization, which plans transportation improvements in Greater Waco and controls some Texas Department of Transportation money. The work is up for funding in 2020.

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Glad to see this is happening. Really need fly-overs from 84 to 340 and 340 to 84. Would also like to see a Franklin overpass at New Road.

I agree.

Any chance they undo the F up at 6 and 340?

SoonerFrogs said:

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Any chance they undo the F up at 6 and 340?

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Are you referring to the stop lights? Not likely. They could at least provide a longer turn off for cars going right to get more cars out of the way. They obviously didn't think that through. I wonder if they could allow a long turn lane to the left before the light or if that would be too confusing. Both of those options would cut down the lines at that specific light.

I don't understand why they would mothball the south end of the I35 project....

Why expand half of it just to have a traffic problem a few minutes later?

Funding issues. The state didn't allocate enough to cover both phases and city does not want to pay the shortfall for phase 2. A lot of phase 2 is still new due to the revamping of the 340 and 35 intersection completed around 08. So the city would rather allocate funding to the 340 to 35 stretch than cover shortfalls on phase 2.

Fat Daddy said:

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I don't understand why they would mothball the south end of the I35 project....

Why expand half of it just to have a traffic problem a few minutes later?

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This.

By the time they build it now, it will be time to update the part they are rebuilding now.

My guess is that they do not intend this thing to go until the 2030's and will look for alternative funding in the next few years.

The big problem is the money in the major metros right now.

I-35 in Austin is about to become a 12 lane behemoth with demolition of the upper deck through downtown. That project will dwarf anything Waco is doing in terms of cost of construction.

Still, the widening/ rebuild of 35 from 12th Street to South Loop 340 will probably cost another $300 million minimum. And, that cost will only go up with future inflation and other competition for taxpayer funds. You also have to consider that the flyover at Valley Mills isn't getting any younger and will ultimately need to be redesigned or replaced.

The idea that they will go another decade or more without redesigning the interchange at Valley Mills is absurd. I-35 got built all the way through Temple, why not through Waco?

Because aggies run texdot

Old300Bear said:

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Because aggies run texdot

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Better yet, ask the powers that be who run Waco.

UBBY said:

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SoonerFrogs said:

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Any chance they undo the F up at 6 and 340?

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Are you referring to the stop lights? Not likely. They could at least provide a longer turn off for cars going right to get more cars out of the way. They obviously didn't think that through. I wonder if they could allow a long turn lane to the left before the light or if that would be too confusing. Both of those options would cut down the lines at that specific light.

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Yes. No dedicated right turn lane. Stupid long lights.

CorsicanaBear said:

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The idea that they will go another decade or more without redesigning the interchange at Valley Mills is absurd. I-35 got built all the way through Temple, why not through Waco?

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The Temple rebuild was shorter than the Waco rebuild and cost half as much.

I don't know if it's because of the drainage issues in Waco being near the Brazos or what, but consider that they are right now demolishing and rebuilding every overpass on IH-35 thru Waco including the interchange at Marlin Highway and 35.

The impressive part of the Temple rebuild was taking nearly mile long viaduct-like overpass and digging into the ground to create a nearly equally long underpass.

Most of Waco's new 35 will be elevated above the frontage roads another 3 to 4 feet per overpass.

Yogi said:

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CorsicanaBear said:

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The idea that they will go another decade or more without redesigning the interchange at Valley Mills is absurd. I-35 got built all the way through Temple, why not through Waco?

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The Temple rebuild was shorter than the Waco rebuild and cost half as much.

I don't know if it's because of the drainage issues in Waco being near the Brazos or what, but consider that they are right now demolishing and rebuilding every overpass on IH-35 thru Waco including the interchange at Marlin Highway and 35.

The impressive part of the Temple rebuild was taking nearly mile long viaduct-like overpass and digging into the ground to create a nearly equally long underpass.

Most of Waco's new 35 will be elevated above the frontage roads another 3 to 4 feet per overpass.

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Which why they're having to tear down the current overpasses.

Interested in how the expect to expand loop 340 from bellmead to old marlin. At keast half of that wont be an issue as it is basically farm land or un used land. But bellmead to the timbercrest neighborhood is all residential with some parts having houses fairly close to the existing loop. Goibg to be interesting