Motorists are facing three more months of detours around Cannon Drive, but then inconvenience will give way to traffic relief as a three-lane connection to East Broad Street opens, city officials say.
The $567,000 project is diverting through traffic away from Cannon, from Matlock Road to its eastern connection at East Broad, which is directly in front of the new Kroger-anchored Broad Street Commons shopping center and about 500 feet west of the Texas 360 intersection.Grading is under way for a 1,000-foot concrete road section with curbs and gutters that will extend from Cannon and run along the western edge of Calvary Cemetery to East Broad Street. Construction is expected to begin soon and finish in June.The new intersection will be about 800 feet west of Cannon’s current Broad Street connection and will pull some traffic from there, said city transportation engineer David Boski.“We’re trying to move traffic away from 360 and get them to a safer, signal light intersection,” Boski said. The existing intersection has no traffic signal because of its proximity to 360, he said. “That’s where we’ve had numerous accidents.”Those who live along Cannon will still will have access. Only a small section of Cannon is barricaded -- from the High Lake Trail intersection to where Crestlake Court approaches Cannon. The new road will spur off off the sharp bend in Cannon at that point, where stop signs will be installed, Boski said.Funding for the project comes from a special taxing district created to support future development in The Reserve at Mansfield, a mostly vacant, 3,100-acre territory bordered roughly by U.S. 287, East Broad Street and Texas 360.Here is an update on other major road projects planned or under construction in Mansfield, based on information from Boski and city engineer Bart VanAmburgh. • The extension of U.S. 287 service roads from Walnut Creek Drive to East Broad Street and construction of highway turn-arounds and monuments is complete except for a few minor “punch-list” items.• The project to rebuild Broad Street as a four-lane, divided thoroughfare from Holland Road to Day Miar Road should begin construction by early summer. Right-of-way has been acquired, the relocation of franchise utilities will resume this month and take about three months to complete.• The Miller Road/East Broad Street intersection will be widened and have a right-turn lane installed on eastbound Broad. The project should be bid by June.• The Heritage Road extension from Mitchell Road to Matlock Road should be bid by early summer. Final bid documents are being prepared and right-of-acquisition is nearly complete for the project, which will complete the link between U.S. 287 and Texas 360.• The widening of West Broad Street from Cotton Street to Retta Road should be finished by the end of this year. Installation of the water line and storm drains is under way.• The project to build turn lanes at the Matlock Road/Debbie Lane intersection should be bid by June.Robert Cadwallader, 817-390-7641 Twitter: @Kaddmann
