With Midland and Odessa growing by leaps and bounds and traffic getting dangerous on I-20, the Midland/Odessa area has gotten the go-ahead to start interstate improvements and bridge reconfiguring.

According to the Midland Reporter-Telegram, the Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board unanimously voted to modify the Transportation Improvement Program to add road and bridge improvements and update the list of projects over the next ten years.

One of the projects prioritized is widening the I-20 corridor to six lanes with new and reconstructed ramps plus converting the service roads to one-way roads instead of two-way roads as they are currently.

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The numerous locations for this improvement cover a 15 mile stretch from JBS Parkway in Odessa to Rankin Highway in Midland.

The cost of the project would be $516.613 million using federal, state, and local funds.

Projects planned for the long-range include safety improvements for FM 1882, a.k.a. West County Road, as well as Highway 191 and new interchanges for Loop 338 at 52nd and 56th streets in Odessa.

In Midland, it includes intersection improvements to State Highway 158 at Wadley and Briarwood and a rail crossing realignment at County Road 1250.

This is good news for an area that has seen traffic congestion and things that I never would have dreamed would ever be in issue in Midland/Odessa.

I am especially glad that the improvements to I-20 include expanding the corridor through Midland and Odessa to 6 lanes, which will help with the traffic issues on the interstate.

Also reconstructing bridges to where no one has to worry about how high their trailer or load is will be a big improvement and help with the numerous shutdowns on the interstate because a truck has hit a bridge.

 

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