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TxDOT official says Northeast Loop project for Paris is funded; construction slated for 2027
Summary
A TxDOT Paris-district engineer told the council the Northeast Loop freeway conversion is funded (about $152 million) and scheduled for construction in September 2027; right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation are under way.
Dan Perry, director of transportation planning and development for the TxDOT Paris district, briefed the Paris City Council on May 12 about planned improvements to Loop 286 and related highways.
Perry said the Northeast Loop — a freeway conversion between Stillhouse Road and Pine Mill Road that will add main lanes, one-way frontage roads, overpasses and a shared-use path — is fully funded at just north of $152 million and is scheduled to begin construction in September 2027. "The Northeast Loop project is a funded construction project," Perry said.
Why it matters
The project aims to separate fast-moving through-traffic from local access by placing main lanes at center, building frontage roads and adding on- and off-ramps and overpasses at key crossings; Perry said the design includes a shared-use path and sidewalks and mechanically stabilized retaining walls rather than large sloped embankments.
Key details
- Funding and timing: Perry said TxDOT has "all the funding in hand" for the Northeast Loop and that construction is scheduled for fall 2027; right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation are in progress and engineering is approximately 95% complete.
- Design elements: The project will convert the northeast segment to a multi-lane facility with frontage roads, new overpasses at Collegiate and FM 195, one-way frontage-road turnarounds and a shared-use path that allows bicycles legally where sidewalks do not.
- US 82 West: Perry said work to convert US 82 from two to four lanes west of Paris is under way, with a federal finding of no significant impact from USDOT and the Army Corps of Engineers passed recently; TxDOT expects the US 82 West letting to be scheduled in winter 2026 with construction to start by spring 2027 (Dec. 2026 letting, possibly sliding to March 2027).
- Public engagement and materials: Perry said designers had multiple public meetings and that project materials and documents are available at loop286.com, a redirect to TxDOT project pages, and that TxDOT personnel including area engineer Daniel Taylor are available for follow-up questions.
Council response and local concerns
Council members thanked TxDOT for progress on pedestrian facilities and asked about associated work such as sidewalk projects on Bonham Street and potential lighting. Perry said a Bonham Street sidewalk project is tentatively set to let in September (construction early November) and that continuous lighting would require agreements between the city and state.
Perry also said the district is studying other loop segments, southeast-loop capacity upgrades and intersections on the south side of town; those projects are at various funding stages and some remain unfunded.
What's next
Right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation will continue through design; TxDOT staff said they would provide council copies of the presentation and expect construction on funded segments to begin in 2027. The public can find project documents at loop286.com and TxDOT's website and contact Daniel Taylor (area engineer) for details.
