COLLIN COUNTY, Texas —
On Tuesday night, Rockhill High School in Frisco community members from Collin County will be attending a meeting with Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) officials.
The changes will affect about a six-mile stretch of Prosper and Frisco.
There is no denying it, thousands of people are moving to Texas, and in Collin County, the population is only growing.
TxDOT officials said they’ve been preparing for this change for years, but before they make any changes, they’re asking for the public to come forward with what they’re hoping for and what they envision.
WFAA spoke with Elizabeth Wheatley, who owns “Elizabeth Rose Visual Artistry” at Lux Suites in Frisco, off of Highway 380.
“The traffic is increasing,” said Wheatley.
With the heavy traffic on 380, and growing construction, Wheatley makes sure to set her appointments accordingly.
“I’ve now found the back roads, thank God for the backroads,” said Wheatley.
On average, she says getting from her house in Little Elm to work is about 10 minutes.
“A smooth ride would be 12 minutes,” said Wheatley.
But with so many families moving in, and businesses opening up in Collin and Denton counties, getting to work is getting harder.
“A lot of traffic, it’s about 20-25 minutes,” said Wheatley.
“The population is growing rapidly, and we know there is congestion on US 380, and as the population continues to grow, something needs to be done,” said Madison Schein, a spokesperson for TxDOT.
TxDOT officials are now proposing a big change for HWY 380 through Prosper and Frisco. The plan is to widen it from Teel Parkway, Champion Drive to west of Lakewood Drive in Denton and Collin counties.
The plan is to make this from a rural area of 380 to an urban area. They plan on putting up barrier walls, turn arounds, and on and off ramps.
“One thing we’re proposing today, is a continuous highway, which means there are no stop lights,” said Schein.
The plan is still in the very early stages, but the hope is to start making changes in the next five years.
For now, Wheatley will have to deal with the traffic, but the silver lining to the population boom is jobs.
“I see the bigger picture, and that’s jobs for people too,” said Wheatley.
TxDOT officials say they want the communities input. If you would like to leave a public comment visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8L775TX.