TxDOT begins second phase of FM 1938 expansion

Drivers can expect more orange barrels along Randol Mill Road as the Texas Department of Transportation begins the next phase of widening the roadway.

The state agency, along with local leaders, had a ground breaking Friday at Fellowship Church in Keller to signify the start of the second phase of road work on Farm Road 1938.

“The extension of Farm Road 1938 represents the collaboration of many partners to add a north-south route from SH 114 to Farm Road 1709 then to I-820,” Tarrant County Commissioner Gary Fickes said in a press release. “The project is a reflection of the continued growth of Northeast Tarrant County.”

The second phase, 1.6 miles along Randol Mill down to Southlake Boulevard, expands the roadway from two lanes to four with a curbed median and an estimated completion in summer 2017.

TxDOT awarded the project to Austin Bridge & Road LP for $20.6 million.

The City of Southlake will add landscaping, lighting and sidewalks.

Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said this project has been in the works for about 20 years. He added before this project, to get from Texas 115 to Farm Road 1709, drivers had to head all the way around to Grapevine to get to Farm Road 1709.

The project will also add dual left turn lanes to the Southlake Boulevard intersection.

Bob Price, Southlake Public Works Director, said the city will work to maintain two lanes of traffic during the construction and make sure any road closures are done at off-peak times and that drivers are aware of any closures well ahead of time.

The project’s mobility coordinator, Stephen Ranft with TxDOT, said crews are working to clear the right-of-way right now, but there is no time line yet when work will begin at the intersection.

“Not only will this provide better mobility and help people who visit, it helps bolster the economy of this area and get people where they need to go,” Mayor Pro Tem Laura Hill said.

TxDOT worked with the cities of Keller, Southlake, Trophy Club and Westlake, Tarrant County, the North Central Texas Council of Governments for the environmental process, design, right of way and utilities.

Keller Mayor Mark Mathews stressed the importance of partnerships.

“Keller, at its core, is about regional partnerships,” he said. “This is an example of an important part of the next 10-15 years of how do we create that connectiveness between our cities.”

TxDOT completed the first phase of the project, which expanded the roadway from Texas 114 to Randol Mill in 2012.

This story was originally published April 14, 2015 at 9:27 AM with the headline "TxDOT begins second phase of FM 1938 expansion."