FM 1774 lighting project anticipated to be completed by September

A Texas Department of Transportation project to install street lighting along FM 1774 is anticipated to be completed in September, Public Information Officer Leo Flores said via email.

What’s happening?

TxDOT is installing 192 lights along a 5.05-mile stretch of FM 1774 that spans from FM 1488 to FM 149, Flores said. Flores said safety and the growth around FM 1774 were reasons for the project.

“Projects such as these are selected for safety improvements based on crash data for the preceding three years,” Flores said. “FM 1774 had a significant number of serious injury and minor injury accidents over a three-year period. After further research it was determined that most of these crashes were occurring at night. Therefore, it was determined that continuous lighting was needed to help prevent accidents on FM 1774.”

According to TxDOT’s Crash Records Information System, there were 250 crashes on FM 1774 between FM 1488 and FM 149, with 33 of those crashes having occurred in dark, not lighted conditions.

The project costs $545,176, with 90% of the construction cost funded by the Highway Improvement Safety Program, a federal program aimed at reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on public roads, Flores said. TxDOT is matching 10%, which is $54,518.

Construction on this project began in April, and it is around 98% complete, Flores said.

“Our crew is ahead of schedule,” Flores said. “The crew will be installing the last few light poles and are waiting on service power from CenterPoint, which is a process that can take a few months.”

Flores said the project is anticipated to be completed by September.