Residents east of Denton say the Highway 380 corridor is still growing fast, now the highway itself needs to catch up.
Once a rural road between Collin County and the city of Denton, for a long time Highway 380 was just a 60-mile-per hour pass-through to most drivers, but that’s not the case anymore.
In recent years, the stretch from Loop 288 in Denton to the county line has been one of the fastest growing in the area with a boom of businesses and home developments coming in to meet the influx of jobs in nearby Frisco and other cities.
However, neighbors say not growing so fast is the road itself.
Despite all of the new additions, 380 still sits as a four-lane rural divide with a 60-mile-per-hour speed limit. It’s often bogged down with traffic jams in peak times, and during the off hours traffic speeds by pedestrians and the newly opened Braswell High School.
Many residents say accidents on the road have become a regular occurrence and it’s time for a change.
The Texas Department of Transportation seems to agree.
TxDOT has a project scheduled to widen the stretch to six lanes and add more bike and pedestrian space. The estimated $81 million in work isn’t scheduled to begin though until 2018.
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The speed limit is another story.
A representative for TXDOT says changing a permanent speed limit requires requests from the local governments in the area, as well as, traffic studies – a lengthy process. There’s no word if that’s something that has been initiated at this time.
Several neighbors said Thursday that they hope action on the road comes soon though, especially with the increased student presence.
Highway 380 also became a topic of safety discussions last month after multiple accidents, including some deaths in construction zones on the road in Denton.
