As work on Phase 2 of the FM 1938 project, which began in April, moved to the Southlake Boulevard and FM 1938 intersection in August, some motorists, residents and business owners have expressed frustrations as the work has added lane closures and traffic switches to an intersection that is already consumed with heavy traffic.
Several driveways to Southlake shopping centers and businesses near the intersection have been closed and are expected to be inaccessible until 2017 when the $20.6 million Texas Department of Transportation project is completed. When finished the 1.6-mile project will widen the two-lane road to four lanes with raised-curb medians from Randol Mill Avenue to Southlake Boulevard. The improvements at the intersection will also provide dual-left turns.
Benefits of the project
Although construction may seem unbearable for some residents, TxDOT Public Information Officer Val Lopez said the safety benefits that motorists will reap once the project is finished will be worth it.
“When the project is complete it will be two lanes both ways with raised-curb medians,” he said. “It’s an instant upgrade in safety. A lot of cities come to us and ask us to install raised-curb medians. Anywhere that we have installed it there has been a 30 to 40 percent drop in head-on collisions, which are the worst kind of wrecks.”
Southlake Public Works Director Bob Price said the project will continue to benefit motorists’ commutes for years to come.
“It will be heaven,” he said. “I don’t think there is any other way that someone can perceive it as anything other than an improvement. There will come a day when traffic warrants six lanes between Johnson Road and the west city limit lines. [FM 1938] is being constructed so that when the traffic volumes get to that point the road will already be widened. And that’s great because you don’t have to go back and interrupt those residents who live adjacent to the roadway.
“I think there is some long-term planning going into this, and I think that the reality is this creates a connection between I-820 Loop and SH 114— that’s the only major connection between 377 and SH 121. I think for the region [the FM 1938 project is] huge, and I think that’s the reason that Tarrant County has been such a willing participant and so much of an advocate for this project.”
Price said he wants commuters to know that the contractor and TxDOT are committed to working as quickly as possible in the reconstruction of the FM 1938 and Southlake Boulevard intersection.
“They understand that it is a real potential problem,” he said. “Right now [the intersection] is restricted both east-west [and] north and south, and so they want to try and get done as quickly as possible. But right now I don’t have any guarantee from anyone that the intersection will be completed any more than the completion date of 2017. I am very hopeful that it is going to be sooner than that. However, it’s going to be messy for a while.”
Communication during construction
Lopez said TxDOT understands many businesses and residents will be affected by the construction, which is why TxDOT has a mobility coordinator.
“We hired a mobility coordinator, whose primary job is to talk to businesses and homeowners and inform them on the status of the project and listen to any concerns they may have and take it back to us so that we can come up with a solution,” he said. “So the mobility coordinator is vital, and he will continue to stay in touch with [businesses/residents] and the city staff as well.”
Nadia Arab, co-owner of Tee with Sugar, said since the construction has begun her business has had some technical issues.
“It’s hard to get in the parking lot traffic-wise, and the Internet and phone has been down a few times due to construction,” she said. “As far as communication the only thing we seem to be getting is updates of the construction via email.”
Price said the city has already worked with one business whose phone lines were down and was able to get the problem fixed quickly.
“When those issues do come up the city is willing to commit resources to resolve those issues so that they don’t adversely affect those businesses,” he said.
As construction continues, he said the city will try to help in any way it can.
“The city is very concerned about the future business of those businesses that reside in that area,” he said. “Any time you deal with construction in a major intersection like this there is a risk because people tend to shy away.”
Although the city and TxDOT try to minimize effects of construction, Price said complaints are just a part of construction.
“Whenever we deal with construction you are interfering with people’s lives, and there are going to be people who experience frustration and sometimes they need a vehicle to allow for that venting,” he said. “Receiving complaints is part of our daily job. It’s just part of the construction process.”
Price said the city does not control the project.
“The city’s role in this case is somewhat limited in the fact that this a TxDOT project,” he said. “So we are in the co-pilot seat. We are walking along with them holding hands; making sure we are communicating as much as we can with all of our people, but [TxDOT is] in control.”
Effect on businesses
Lopez said there are about 60 businesses located on or around the project area, including national chains such as Sprouts Farmers Market, Dunkin’ Donuts, Hobby Lobby, Sonic Drive-In and Wal-Mart as well as local businesses.
One local store owner, Anu Gandhari, who owns The Gift Store, said the driveway closures have not influenced her business.
“It’s hard to get in and get out of here,” she said. “Thankfully I get a lot of phone orders so it hasn’t really affected my business, but I definitely have a lot of customers complain about getting in and out the shopping center. It’s an inconvenience to everybody.”
Price said he has not heard of any businesses closing or losing a significant amount of business because of the construction.
“At no time is there not any access allowed to any of those properties,” he said. “However, there are alternate locations where they have to enter into those properties, and we are sending that information through our various communication channels as well as TxDOT, the city of Keller and several other communication channels.”
He said he believes as time goes on more people will be aware of the closures and how to navigate the construction.
“The problem is that people live within a very busy world and they’re not necessarily listening all the time, so consequently I think the people that travel that corridor need to stay tuned.”
As work on Phase 2 of the FM 1938 project, which began in April, moved to the Southlake Boulevard and FM 1938 intersection in August, some motorists, residents and business owners have expressed frustrations as the work has added lane closures and traffic switches to an intersection that is already consumed with heavy traffic.
Several driveways to Southlake shopping centers and businesses near the intersection have been closed and are expected to be inaccessible until 2017 when the $20.6 million Texas Department of Transportation project is completed. When finished the 1.6-mile project will widen the two-lane road to four lanes with raised-curb medians from Randol Mill Avenue to Southlake Boulevard. The improvements at the intersection will also provide dual-left turns.
“We hired a mobility coordinator, whose primary job is to talk to businesses and homeowners and inform them on the status of the project and listen to any concerns they may have and take it back to us so that we can come up with a solution,” he said. “So the mobility coordinator is vital, and he will continue to stay in touch with [businesses/residents] and the city staff as well.”
Nadia Arab, co-owner of Tee with Sugar, said since the construction has begun her business has had some technical issues.
“It’s hard to get in the parking lot traffic-wise, and the Internet and phone has been down a few times due to construction,” she said. “As far as communication the only thing we seem to be getting is updates of the construction via email.”
Price said the city has already worked with one business whose phone lines were down and was able to get the problem fixed quickly.
“When those issues do come up the city is willing to commit resources to resolve those issues so that they don’t adversely affect those businesses,” he said.
As construction continues, he said the city will try to help in any way it can.
“The city is very concerned about the future business of those businesses that reside in that area,” he said. “Any time you deal with construction in a major intersection like this there is a risk because people tend to shy away.”
Although the city and TxDOT try to minimize effects of construction, Price said complaints are just a part of construction.
“Whenever we deal with construction you are interfering with people’s lives, and there are going to be people who experience frustration and sometimes they need a vehicle to allow for that venting,” he said. “Receiving complaints is part of our daily job. It’s just part of the construction process.”
Price said the city does not control the project.
“The city’s role in this case is somewhat limited in the fact that this a TxDOT project,” he said. “So we are in the co-pilot seat. We are walking along with them holding hands; making sure we are communicating as much as we can with all of our people, but [TxDOT is] in control.”
