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Legislature looks at TxDOT budget
By Mary Madewell
Published July 3, 2009
Action by state lawmakers Thursday should release bond funds necessary for Texas Department of Transportation Paris District to assist in a proposed extension and straightening of South Collegiate Drive from Jefferson Road to Loop 286.
State Rep. Mark Homer, D-Paris, said Thursday as long as the project is in the Paris District budget he sees no reason it will not be included in the $2 billion in transportation bonds authorized for issuance during a two-day special session of the 81st Texas Legislature.
Work on Farm Road 1507, which turns into Jefferson Road, is a selected project for TxDOT’s Paris District and is on a temporary hold list awaiting legislative action, according to district engineer Bobby Littlefield.
“The project was selected as a safety issue,” Littlefield said. “We put it on the project development schedule and planned to take bids for construction probably in spring or summer 2010,” Littlefield said. “When the legislature failed to give approval for the bond issue, the project had to be put on hold.”
Littlefield checked with Austin officials Wednesday and discovered the $450,000 project was still on hold.
“We’ll know more in a couple of weeks after the special session,” Littlefield said.
TxDot’s portion of the Collegiate Drive project entails two intersections involving FR 1507/Jefferson Road/Collegiate Drive. Littlefield said TxDot will consider Collegiate Drive a main north/south thoroughfare through the city.
Paris City Council currently is considering how to fund the Collegiate Drive extension, which could cost upwards of $4 million depending on options the council chooses. At a June 22 meeting, council members seemed to be in consensus about building a four-lane divided boulevard with a turn lane to accommodate buses at the high school and traffic into Love Civic Center.
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