An effort to make a portion of FM 1960 and Hwy. 6 safer is underway by the Texas Department of Transportation, barring whether funding comes through for the proposed project.
The plan includes the conversion of the roadway's center turn lane into a raised median from I-10 to Hwy. 249 to relieve congestion in the area and improve safety, said Deidrea Samuels, TxDOT spokesperson. Although the project is unfunded, it is expected to cost about $33.6 million.
"The proposed construction timeline is dependent on funding, so there is not a set month, but at this time the estimated time for construction to begin is anywhere from 2013 to 2015," Samuels said.
The Copperfield Coalition, which represents the community around Hwy. 6, believes the proposed project will make the roadway safer, but its members do have concerns about the area north of the intersection at FM 529 and Hwy. 6, said Anthony Cecala, coalition president.
"The problem with TxDOT's plan is that it's going to be difficult to get in and out of those two sections," he said. "Our suggestion is to put in a light at the intersection just a hair north of Outback Steakhouse. Right now it's an extremely dangerous intersection, and the light would open easy access to the businesses."
As far as the rest of the Copperfield area, the coalition does not have other issues, with the exception that residents will have to make more U-turns.
The coalition is also in favor of having green medians along the roadway, Cecala said. Non-green medians would be filled with asphalt or concrete and painted black, while green medians feature at least grass and possibly shrubbery.
"The county will come in and fill [the median] in with dirt, put a layer of sod down, and walk away," Cecala said. "Then it is up to the community to keep it mowed and watered. They can from that point go on and landscape it, but it does have to fit within the safety guidelines of TxDOT."
The state agency agreed to install green medians along the project route if an organization steps up and accepts the responsibility to maintain them, because they do not want to turn it into a pile of weeds, Cecala said. The Copperfield Community Association is willing to manage the portion of Hwy. 6 from Point Northwest Boulevard to FM 529. Other entities, which could include apartment complexes and local businesses, are expected to accept the task of maintaining the medians along the remaining areas.