Fort Worth will spend $47.2 million on road improvements aimed at easing traffic congestion in the city\u2019s far north.<\/p>\n
City Council members approved the funds<\/a> for work near Avondale Haslet Road in late November, advancing a $74.5 million project that aims to accommodate the area\u2019s fast growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n Improvements will affect just over 2.5 miles of the road between Willow Creek Drive and John Day Road as well as small portions of some streets intersecting with Avondale Haslet Road.<\/p>\n Council member Alan Blaylock, who represents the area, said the improvements are \u201clong overdue.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The improvements will expand the road\u2019s two lanes into four with a divided median, as well as add sidewalks and three traffic signals. Water improvements are folded into the construction plans, with officials adding a 3,500-foot water main and drainage improvements.\u00a0<\/p>\n Construction is expected to start in February, said Lara Ingram, public information officer for Fort Worth\u2019s Transportation and Public Works Department.<\/p>\n Blaylock said the city is working with other entities \u2014 including the Texas Department of Transportation, Tarrant County and the city of Haslet \u2014 to ensure progress along the entire 6-mile corridor between Highway 287 and School House Road.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the councilman for District 10, my focus has been on advancing the city of Fort Worth’s segment of the project, making it and other infrastructure improvements a top priority,\u201d Blaylock said.<\/p>\n The funds approved on Nov. 21 will come from the city\u2019s 2018 and 2022 bond programs as well as from the 2021 Tarrant County bond.\u00a0<\/p>\n The project is one of multiple in far north Fort Worth necessitated by rapid development in the once sprawling ranchland.<\/p>\n The area\u2019s main roads, such as Avondale Haslet and Bonds Ranch, have a reputation for frequent and dense traffic congestion<\/a>, officials and residents have said. For many of the area\u2019s thousands of residents, the two-lane roads are the only connection from their subdivisions to nearby highways.<\/p>\n Road maintenance and expansion have repeatedly come up as priorities of City Council members as they plan out the city\u2019s budgets and upcoming bonds.\u00a0<\/p>\n They\u2019ve floated a potential monthly street maintenance fee<\/a> on residents to make up for an estimated $59 million shortfall for annual street maintenance. The 2026 bond proposal, which voters will weigh in May, currently allocates about 61% of its $840 million<\/a> to road improvements.<\/p>\n Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org<\/a> or @shawlings601<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n