Road improvements, safer rail crossings on ballot in fast-growing Johnson County
The roads in Johnson County are getting more crowded and congested as North Texas continues to grow.
Voters have an opportunity to approve a $60 million transportation bond on the Nov. 5 ballot that would provide funding for major thoroughfare improvements, safety enhancements at railroad crossings and future road projects. Early voting continues through Nov. 1.
Johnson County ?udge Christopher Boedeker said rapid growth is fueling the need for the bond election. Johnson County is working closely with the Texas Department of Transportation and the North Central Texas Council of Governments on projects to improve safety and ease traffic congestion.
‘Our population is growing at a very fast rate. We are seeing significant residential development throughout the county,” he said.
Projects like the Chisholm Trail Parkway that connect Johnson County to Fort Worth and the 360 tollway project in Dallas and Ellis counties are among the factors contributing to the growth, he said.
“This is not a bond to focus on county roads, but instead, it is focusing on major thoroughfares,” he said..
The bond projects are divided in to four “themes,” including east-west thoroughfare improvements, railroad crossing improvements, road safety upgrades and future road needs.
Boedeker said the county and all of the cities, including Burleson and Cleburne, worked together on a thoroughfare master plan.
FM 917 is one of the roadways slated for improvement. The east-west road runs south of Burleson to downtown Joshua. The two-lane road has sharp curves that will be fixed to address safety issues. More lanes will also be added.
What’s on the ballot
One proposition asks voters to approve the $60 million transportation bond. The bond would cost the average homeowner the owner $24.92 a year in taxes.