“Everybody I run into is experiencing congestion now, so that’s easy to understand today,” said Clarence Daugherty, Collin County director of engineering. “… The average citizen that we’ve run into doesn’t have a feel for just how much more growth we’re going to be having and how that translates [into] additional congestion.”
The county’s population has grown nearly 23 percent between 2010 and 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, adding an average of 60 people to the county each day.
By 2045 Collin County’s population is expected to be greater than Dallas and Tarrant counties, said Collin County Commissioner Susan Fletcher, who represents Frisco.
“We don’t have nearly enough highways on the map compared to those two counties, so we need to get ahead of that right now,” she said.
With only four highways in Collin County and three of them tolled roadways, commissioners determined Proposition A—$600 million—would be used for non-tolled highway projects. Two other propositions to appear on the Nov. 6 ballot include $140 million for arterial roads, including the reconstruction and rehabilitation of arterial roads, and $10 million for open space and parks throughout the county.
Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said the bond has been reviewed by Frisco City Council’s legislative committee and city staff. The council is expected to vote on a resolution to support the bond in mid-October, Cheney said.
“Collin County is one of the fastest- growing counties in the state, and so keeping up with the infrastructure demands, the bond is a needed tool for continued growth,” Cheney said.
The $740 million in bond funds designated for roadway improvements, if approved, are only a start, according to county and regional transportation officials. Officials estimate that $12.6 billion will be needed for road projects to keep up with the growth through 2045.
The county expects to need to call a bond election every five years as well as tap funds from the Texas Department of Transportation, Regional Transportation Council and the North Central Texas Council of Governments in order to reach the funding goal, Daugherty said.
Collin County Commissioner Duncan Webb said the 2018 bond funds, when paired with RTC and NCTCOG funds, would possibly be enough to get one of the needed major thoroughfares moving forward.
Funding
NCTCOG estimates building a freeway or tollway costs about $10.4 million per lane mile. For a project like US 380, which spans approximately 32 miles in Collin County, that would equate to $332.8 million for construction alone—but that does not include all the work that must be done before construction can start, including right of way acquisition.
If voters approve Proposition A the majority of the $600 million bond proposition would be used for environmental and feasibility studies, designing highways and acquiring right of way, Daugherty said.
Constructing a road from start to finish could take 10-15 years if everything goes according to schedule, Webb said.
“With the exception of the [future]Outer Loop, [residents] won’t see a single orange cone through these five years,” Collin County Judge Keith Self said. “… [Work is] going to be going on behind the scenes, but we’ve got to move forward so that when the day comes and we’re prepared for construction we’ve done all the pre-work.”
The county projects the $600 million proposition would be used for non-tolled highway projects, including the Outer Loop, US 380 and US 78. Estimates for these projects ranged from $578.8-$779.8 million, according to county documents.
Planning and acquiring right of way for the highway projects would begin once there is consensus from stakeholders and lines on the map showing where each highway will go, Daugherty said.
Arterial roadways
One of the bond propositions includes a $140 million proposition for arterial roads, which connect drivers to high-speed highways, Self said.
Fletcher said the commissioners will have an annual call for projects, as they have done in the past, and ask cities to match 50 percent of the funding necessary for an arterial roadway.
Daugherty said he expects some projects to come from cities and others from county input, but a list of projects has not been announced. NCTCOG estimates arterial roadways will cost $4 million per lane mile to construct.
A $10 million bond proposition—Proposition C—to fund parks and open space in the county is also included in the Nov. 6 election.
US 380
If voters approve Proposition A, Collin County estimates that up to $255.9 million would be used to improve US 380, according to county documents. In 2017, the city of Frisco’s traffic counts showed that the vehicles per day on US 380 varied between 27,925-46,285, making it one of the most traveled roadways in the city.
TxDOT is conducting a study of US 380 to determine how to move forward with the project. Although TxDOT is holding meetings for residents in potentially affected cities—including Frisco, McKinney and Prosper—TxDOT officials will have the final say in how US 380 would be widened or moved.
“People in Frisco don’t just stay in Frisco; they travel throughout the whole county, and our major priority is [US] 380, and it runs right alongside Frisco. A lot of people use that,” Fletcher said. “The Commissioner’s Court just looked at the dynamics, and we understand the current transportation isn’t going to handle our increased need for capacity.”
