The big picture
The Texas Department of Transportation broke ground on a $157 million project this summer to expand the existing Spur 399 from four to six lanes. The project is one of three separate segments that aim to connect Spur 399 to US 380, TxDOT Public Information Officer Madison Schein said. Construction of the extension is estimated to cost $983 million in total to “address the congestion and improve mobility” in eastern Collin County, she said in an email.
The second and third segments will construct an eight-lane freeway with frontage roads along McKinney National Airport’s east side. Officials expect to award a construction contract for the second segment in a few years, Schein said.
Council member Justin Beller, whose district includes East McKinney, said construction is moving fast on the first segment.
“They are aggressive with it, which is a good thing and a bad thing for those that live around it and those that have to drive through it,” he said. “But it means that they’re working to get this done as quick as possible, which will be a big relief for all of us who have to deal with the effects.”
Zooming out
The Spur 399 extension isn’t the only major project planned in Collin County. TxDOT officials are also planning the US 380 bypass, an eight-lane controlled access freeway through north McKinney. More than $8 billion is planned for projects on Spur 399 and US 380 in the coming years, TxDOT officials said.
Spur 399’s extension and the US 380 bypass are “massive” in providing access to communities like Princeton and Farmersville while supporting current projects in McKinney, Beller said.
“Thoroughfares like this are what’s going to make all that possible,” he said. “Gridlock is going to slow that down, and so this is a vital corridor for Collin County.”
The cost
The Spur 399 extension is funded by a mix of federal and state money, including a portion of funding from the state’s Clear Lanes fund, Schein said. The fund supports projects that are addressing traffic congestion.
TxDOT officials are also planning a $52 million project to reconstruct SH 5 between McMakin Street and Power House Street. That project will include reconstruction of the existing road and sidewalks.
McKinney Engineering Director Gary Graham said the city is completing utility relocations, and that project is expected to be awarded for construction in 2028.
Once the roadway is reconstructed, the city could potentially pull SH 5 off TxDOT’s highway system and locally maintain it, though that process would come later, city officials said.
The city would be responsible for long-term maintenance of SH 5 but would have more control over adding enhancements like street lights or crosswalks, Beller said. Any city can ask TxDOT to turn over a roadway to the local jurisdiction, Graham said.
“Typically, when you do take a roadway off-system like that, TxDOT tries to reconstruct that roadway so when the city takes it off-system, it’s a brand new asset,” Graham said.
Looking ahead
The first Spur 399 segment is expected to be completed in summer 2029, Schein said. Several traffic shifts are expected as construction crews expand the road, with the first in spring 2026.
Design is still underway for the second and third Spur 399 construction segments, with no construction start date set. View a timeline for the Spur 399 widening project and SH 5 reconstruction projects below:
- 2025: Spur 399 widening project starts
- 2028: SH 5 reconstruction scheduled to start
- 2029: Spur 399 widening project scheduled to finish
- 2031: SH 5 reconstruction scheduled to finish
