COLLIN COUNTY, Texas — A proposed bypass for Highway 380 has residents voicing their concerns at their respective community meetings.
The Texas Department of Transportation has plans to build a bypass for the notoriously congested highway and four proposed routes cut through northern Collin County cities like Prosper, McKinney and New Hope.
"We cannot operate here if that route goes there at all," said Priscilla Darling, co-founder of ManeGait in Prosper. "I just can't imagine not helping these people and I don't wanna be stopped."
ManeGait is a therapeutic horse-riding center for children, adults with disabilities and veterans. Darling says they have been in operation for 15 years and one of the routes, Segment B, sits feet from the north side of their property.
Darling tells WFAA that in 2018, TxDOT had proposed a route that went south of the property but that proposal was removed.
TxDOT's plan calls for an eight lane road, four lanes each way, with a service road on either side. There are portions of the proposed bypass which are elevated along along all the routes.
"Segment B is the least disruptive and Segment A is more costly," said Joan Stuckmann of McKinney. "Many of our homeowners had no idea this was happening and are really shocked and are really upset."
On Thursday evening, residents in both McKinney and Prosper held rallies. McKinney is fighting against Segment A and Prosper is fighting against Segment B.
Unless another route is proposed, TxDOT may have to decide between one or the other for the western portion of the bypass.
In a statement, TxDOT said:
"Proposed plans to improve US 380 between Coit Road and FM 1827 in Collin County are currently being studied. The comment period is now open. This corridor is in an area experiencing rapid residential and commercial growth. Four alternative proposals are under consideration to accommodate the safety of current and future traffic needs. The Texas Department of Transportation presented these alternatives during a public meeting on March 22, 2022, and asked for comments to be provided in order to help guide the next steps of the study. Those comments can be provided online, by phone or by mail. The department welcomes all interested parties to submit their feedback by April 6."
TxDOT tells WFAA that no final decision has been made.
There are still a number of studies, like environmental, that need to be done before a preferred route is chosen by early 2023.
And once that decision is made another round of public comment is necessary before a bypass route is ultimately decided.