New exit and entrance ramps from I45 to Fairfield were presented during an open house held by TxDOT this past Tuesday, December 10th, 2019.
The schematic shows the plan in full, including an impressive list of changes and improvements.
The list varies from pavement improvements to a completely new section of frontage roads.
Fairfield Economic Development Corporation (EDC) President David Fowler gave his take on the addition of marketable property, “I believe the greatest benefit will be the opportunity for the public access to additional property along the project route that has never been available.” He also stresses that there is great importance that the existing businesses support will not change in any way due to this plan.
This project adds almost a mile of valuable frontage property right along the increasingly busy I45 corridor, coupled with the rerouted access from new exit and entrance ramps at Church St.
The reconstruction of the frontage roads between FM 27 and HWY 84 will see the addition of shared access lanes, a ten-foot wide sidewalk essentially, making bicycling or walking to/from businesses along the frontage road safer and easier.
This section will be expanded to three lanes, with one lane being an auxiliary lane, used specifically for entrances and exits off the interstate. This improvement should allow for smoother flowing traffic between the two intersections.
FM 27 on the northbound side will have traffic lights installed, for the first time.
Church St. will have stop signs installed.
The frontage road from Church St. to FM 27 will be converted to one-way roads on the Northbound and Southbound sides and includes the new frontage road.
While looking at the schematics you might see how the frontage roads are moved closer to the Interstate, moving away from the entrances to various businesses. That feature has been planned for as well.
TxDOT Public Information Officer Bobby Colwell explains, “Some of these drives will need to be consolidated. We have meet with several of these business and will continue coordinate to maintain access.”
While the plan brings changes and improvements that could prove beneficial to Fairfield, there are a few concerns.
The schematic shows that there will be four exit ramps along the southbound side, and three exit ramps on the northbound side, for drivers coming in from the interstate.
However, when getting onto I45 the current proposed plan allows for only one entrance ramp on either side of the interstate.
Once exiting off I45 Southbound, if taking the first Fairfield exit, drivers must travel past Church St. in order to re-enter the Interstate. This is a distance of approximately two miles, with two sets of traffic lights, and one stop.
The Northbound side will take a driver approximately two miles to after FM 27 to re-enter the Interstate again through a stop sign and two traffic lights.
Brady Johnson of Cooper Farms Country Store believes this lack of entrance ramps may affect how traffic will flow due to the heavy influx of 18-wheelers seen in the Fairfield area, “It’s going to cause more backups at each intersection and make people less likely to want to stop in Fairfield, especially on the north side of Fairfield.”
Johnson also pointed out, “it could have an impact on emergency vehicles needing to head south bound on the interstate. It will cause them to have to ride the frontage road for several miles and cross multiple intersections – which is dangerous.”
Fairfield EDC President Fowler commented that, “I would like to see another entrance to I-45 for purely convenience as a motorist.”
When asked about more creative solutions Colwell of TxDOT explained that, “additional interchange improvements, including braided ramps, will be considered as part of a future IH-45 6 lane expansion project.”
A braided ramp uses height to allow the ramps to cross one another in an overlapping fashion.
Overall people seem to feel positively about the proposed changes.
Although Johnson says there are some flaws in the proposed plan, he believes change is necessary to move forward. “When incorporated with the eventual widening of I-45 I think it will be a good thing long term,” he said.
Fowler expresses how, “My wish would be there is a perfect plan and no one would be affected negatively, but nothing is perfect, so we all should work with TxDOT and get as close as we can to something that everyone can live with.” He later commented that TxDOT has listened to the community and made changes due to public comments and concerns.
Public comments may be made in writing by December 27, 2019 to the TxDOT Bryan District Advance Planning Office Attn: IH 45 Fairfield, 2591 North Earl Rudder Freeway, Bryan, TX 77803, or by email or phone to Ms. Allison Kurwitz, P.E. with the Bryan District Planning Office at (979) 778-2165 or Allison.Kurwitz@txdot.gov.
Information is available online at www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/bryan/i45-fairfield.html
