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Officials push long‑term plan to expand Highway 57 into a four‑lane corridor
Summary
Leaders described engineering work and a funding campaign to convert Highway 57 into a four‑lane route to support commercial traffic and safety; the effort will require multi‑year TxDOT planning, UTP listing and local buy‑in to attract state funds.
Council and staff discussed a multi‑decade objective: converting current Highway 57 into a four‑lane corridor to improve safety and support commercial growth. Speakers said the technical label (IH57 vs Highway 57) is less important than securing funding and placing the project on TxDOT's Unified Transportation Program (UTP).
Officials said an engineering firm already selected is advancing studies and that local governments’ early contributions or right‑of‑way commitments would increase the project’s chances for state attention. The meeting emphasized the need to narrow and quantify requests — specific mileage, right‑of‑way costs and phasing — so TxDOT and legislative offices can include accurate budget asks in the UTP and legislative packages.
Participants discussed tradeoffs: a four‑lane undivided alignment might accelerate delivery by minimizing property acquisition, but a divided highway is preferable for long‑term safety. The group recommended continuing design work, coordinating among city, county and regional partners, and preparing detailed cost estimates for the legislative cycle.
No formal action or funding appropriation occurred at the meeting; staff will return to the group with more specific project costs and a proposed schedule.
