Haslet — The Haslet City Council spent much of its Jan. 12 meeting debating whether to pursue a state off-system grade-separation grant to build a proposed large bridge over the BNSF tracks near FM 156 and Schoolhouse Road, a project staff said could require tens of millions of dollars and a 10% local match.

The grant application deadline is Jan. 19. The mayor told the council the North Central Texas Council of Governments has committed to the $8,000,000 local-match portion, and staff said the city has gathered letters of support from regional elected officials and industry partners.

Why it matters: The large-bridge proposal promises a regional, long-term fix for chronically congested crossings but carries a multi-year design and construction schedule and carries uncertainty about cost overruns and development impacts. Residents and some council members said they want a faster, smaller bridge or interim traffic relief in the near term.

Residents pressed the council during an extended public-comment period. Kitty Wertz, who said the small bridge was “almost fully funded,” warned the large structure would be “dependent on the state grant” and could take five years or more to complete, adding: “If Hazlett is not awarded the grant, Hazlett has lost a great deal of money by these actions.”

Eric Gomez, who said he is moving to Haslet, framed his concerns in terms of emergency response: “A bridge is necessary and a quick response is what's required,” he told the council, saying he feared delayed ambulance or fire access if traffic and train delays persist.

Council discussion focused on trade-offs and transparency. One council member questioned whether the city should request a large share of recently approved statewide funds intended to help small municipalities, asking why Haslet would request roughly one-third of the state's pot. The mayor and staff said the application request amount was still being finalized and that some application details would be available only shortly before the submission deadline.

City staff told the council that TxDOT engineers had previously declined to advance a technical design for the previous small-bridge concept because of support-column placement within the BNSF right-of-way. The mayor said TxDOT indicated it preferred the larger design because it solved those technical problems, but that TxDOT would not pay the construction cost — state funds or other partners would.

What happens next: Staff said they would send the council the application materials before submission when feasible and that the mayor would report the final requested amount. Council members asked for written confirmation from NCTCOG/RTC about the committed local match and for a clearer breakdown of total requested funds and contingencies prior to submission.

Representative quote: “The small bridge is gonna take several years as well...the bigger bridge will take longer, but it will be a much better and forward progressive solution for the region,” Joette Keane said during public comment.

The council did not vote to submit or withdraw the application during the Jan. 12 open session; staff emphasized the application was still in preparation and would be submitted by the state deadline if finalized.