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5.2 miles closer to completion
By Mary Madewell
Published November 7, 2009
COOPER — With a new divided four-lane highway in the background, state and local officials joined almost 100 Northeast Texas residents Friday on the outskirts of this rural community to celebrate the completion of yet another link between Interstate 30 in Hunt County and the rest of the North American hemisphere.
While the newly completed 5.2 mile-stretch of Texas 24 north of Cooper marks another milestone in a 54-year effort to convert a narrow roadway into a transportation corridor, businessmen, civic leaders and others spoke Friday about a final 10.4 miles stretching southwesterly from Cooper to the Hunt County line.
The group gathered to acknowledge past accomplishments and to encourage efforts to gain the necessary funding to complete that 10.4 miles of roadway, which could cost upwards of $32 million based on the more than $16 million-cost for the latest expansion.
Four-lane roadway construction from Interstate 30 along a 47-plus mile route to Paris began in 1955 with a 1.2-mile stretch in Commerce. Expansion has come in small increments, the longest addition in 1997 with the completion of a divided four-lane roadway from Loop 286 in Paris south to the Sulphur River.
Don Wall, chairman of the Sulphur River Regional Mobile Authority (SRRMA), served as master of ceremonies for the brief event.
Among other officials, Wall introduced Delta County Judge Ted Carrington by saying,
“I want to congratulate you now. Delta County and the City of Cooper now has a four-lane divided highway they can travel all the way to Winnipeg, Canada; and, someday, I hope you can get to Dallas.”
Carrington spoke about “a great day for the area.”
“It will help adjoining counties whatever direction from us,” he said.
Carrington credited Delta County resident Morris Partain for his tireless work during the past 50 years.
“He has worked long, hard hours trying to get this,” Carrington said. “Morris, we in Delta County owe you a lot of tribute for this.”
Earlier in the program, state Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, complimented those in the audience for persistence as he looked to the future.
“I look forward to working with you to get this part going west to Greenville where I live,” the District 2 senator said.
Deuell also brought greetings from U.S. Rep. Ralph Hall, R-Rockwall who remained in Washington D.C. to debate health care reform.
“He loves to be out in the district but he had to stay to help save health care,” Deuell said.
State Rep. Mark Homer, D-Paris, brought a bit of optimism.
“We are going to get this thing finished, and we are going to get it finished soon,” Homer said.
Homer said he has verbal commitment from both Amadeo Saenz, executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation and from Speaker of the House Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, to finish the project.
“It is now a priority of the Speaker,” Homer assured. “He had made that very clear that he wants the funding and by the next legislative session we are going to work to make sure this gets funded.”
Bobby Littlefield, district engineer for Texas Department of Transportation/Paris District, said initial work on the final phase has begun with environmental investigations.
“It is very tedious but we are going to get passed that hurdle,” Littlefield said. “The main hurdle in the end is going to be construction funding. You heard Mark Homer say we have some verbal commitments on that.
“I hope we can follow through on that,” Littlefield concluded.
But for the time being, Cooper Mayor Scott Stegall, who serves as president of the Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Council, heralded the latest achievement.
“It’s wonderful when we get ready to leave and go to Paris that we have the safety of a four-lane; and, the travel time is so much better,” Stegall said.
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