When the Buc-ee's in Denton opens in November, the nearby roadwork on I-35E will not be complete. City of Denton traffic engineer Pritam Deshmukh says Texas Department of Transportation is currently working two separate projects in the area.
"It's scheduled to open 7 months before the construction is complete," said Deshmukh.
Deshmukh says the I-35E project would make the highway three lanes in both directions. Another project would increase the capacity of the roads leading in and out of the Buc-ee's. "We were definitely coordinating everything to open and happen at the same time," Pritam said.
Also, a portion of I-35E north of Corinth between Post Oak Drive and Lillian Miller Parkway has seen its share of accidents. There is heavy construction in this area. Denton Police Officer Shane Kizer said the majority of the accidents are fender-benders. "Following too close, being impatient, not being observant. We have a lot of rear-end accidents, things of that nature," he said.
This area stretches barely a mile. Denton police said there were between 50 to 60 crashes already on that portion this year. The police department says there have been some challenges with policing this area because of all the construction. "We lose our shoulder. We can't set stationary patrol out to help monitor things, so that makes it tighter for us," said Kizer.
Pritam tells WFAA that all parties, including TxDOT, are committed to making this transition seamless. The ultimate goal is to safely get 100,000 cars up and down I-35E every day. Until the construction is complete, patience is something we all may need.