Although plans are not yet final, TxDOT hopes a new freeway will ease traffic on Highway 380 from Prosper to McKinney. Road expansion plans have divided the people of Collin County.
While TxDOT was the lead proponent of the Blue option for the US-380 bypass this month, the C route will force more than 20 homeowners and 35 business owners to move.
The 16-mile blue alternative will begin at a new location at Coit Road and US-380, extend east and connect to the old US-380 FM 1827. In Figure 2-10: Blue option, made by parts A, E and C.
“So, the pieces are all the options in the puzzle room. And then the colors are the opportunities for that portion of the corridor,” TxDOT spokeswoman Madison Schein said. “So you’ll hear letters from people talking about a short segment of this whole project.”
According to TxDOT, the decision was made based on public input and the final draft of the agency’s environmental impact study.
“We’ve come up with a preferred option since listening to everybody do the analysis, and that’s going to be longer on the US 380 alignment,” Schein said. .“
But those who live in Class C feel blind.
“Betrayed. We’ve been doing this for years, talking to TxDOT,” said Gordon O’Neill. O’Neill has lived on the same property in Collin County for more than 30 years. “(TxDOT) chose option D, which would have missed us and gone to the bottom of the river where there are no houses.”
O’Neill lives about 15 minutes from downtown McKinney.
“My wife and I moved to this farm in 1984,” O’Neill said.
For more than 20 years, he has devoted much of his time and resources to teaching blacksmiths to local Boy Scout troops.
“They want to come and do metal work every year,” O’Neill said. “I think they came three times last year to do metal works.”
He started with a private forge. Over the years, O’Neill has added more equipment to allow each troop to practice.
“It was great,” O’Neill said. “And now that Scouting is co-organized, I have a troop that comes from Fort Worth every year. About half of their team are girls. And now it’s just opening up a new career opportunity, a new craft opportunity, a new way for all kinds of kids to explore creativity.
If TxDOT moves forward with Section C of Blue Option, the house will be demolished along with the blacksmith shop.
“Last week we finally got an email from TxDOT saying the Highway 380 bypass is coming through our house and it’s going to take our house, garage, storage shed and blacksmith shop,” O’Neill said.
A total of 22 homes and 35 businesses were evacuated.
“It would completely destroy the peace and quiet that we have now, which is why I moved to this urban area,” said Karen Smith.
Smith built the Tara Royal Equestrian Center in less than a decade. Her center has a show jumping arena, an indoor arena, 31 paddocks and currently 48 horses, including the McKinney Police Mounted Patrol.
Smith said the proposed highway would cut off her driveway and create noise that would hurt her business.
“I will have to close my business. I mean, you can’t have a horse barn with a freeway going through the top,” Smith said.
While the city of McKinney will discuss the issue during a work session Tuesday afternoon, a final decision will be made by TxDOT after the public meetings.
The first in-person hearing is scheduled for Feb. 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Collin County Courthouse Central Jury Room at 2100 Bloomdale Road, McKinney.
A virtual meeting will be held on February 16 for those unable to attend in person. Click here to access that meeting.
The second meeting will be on February 21st from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm in the Rhea Mill Baptist Church gymnasium at 5733 N. Custer Road in McKinney.
Click here to review the Draft Environmental Impact Study.
