Cleburne
Texas 121 expansion on track
Plans to extend Texas 121 from Fort Worth to Cleburne remain largely on schedule, officials from the Texas Department of Transportation and North Texas Tollway Authority told members of the Johnson County Commissioners Court on Monday.
Commissioner John Matthews asked officials representing various transportation agencies to update the commissioners court on the project’s progress.
“It’s impossible to underestimate the importance of Texas 121 to our area, but it’s a dynamic process, and I think it’s important that local officials get updates on a regular basis,” Matthews said. “We’re going to try to arrange to have various officials in to have a briefing every month at the commissioners court meetings.”
The toll road will be called Southwest Parkway in Tarrant County and Chisholm Trail Parkway in Johnson County. Plans call for a four-lane, divided highway that will intersect U.S. 67 in Cleburne. Design work and right-of-way acquisition on both components of the project is largely complete, officials said.
Earlier this year, federal stimulus money was allocated to fund interchanges in Fort Worth and Cleburne for the project.
Work on the Fort Worth interchange is expected to begin in September or October.
A start date on the Cleburne interchange remains to be determined, said Maribel Chavez, TxDOT district engineer.
Officials are waiting to receive approval to construct the interchange and make needed safety improvements to U.S. 67, Chavez said.
An agreement on a crossing easement with Fort Worth and Western Railroad is also still in the works, Chavez said.
Officials hope to bid and begin construction on the Cleburne interchange and U.S. 67 improvement part of the project this year, Chavez said.
“We’d like to get to letting the projects as soon as possible because bids have been coming in 25 to 30 percent under lately,” Chavez said.
Officials estimated the cost of the entire Texas 121 project at $1.8 billion and gave a targeted completion date of 2012 or 2013.
County Road 318
At the request of Keene officials, commissioners voted to turn maintenance of seven-tenths of a mile of County Road 318 over to the city.
Keene officials received a grant to widen and rebuild the road, which is near the Keene Industrial Park.
Officials later learned that the street lies outside Keene city limits.
Commissioners voted to allow Keene to assume maintenance of the affected portion of CR 318 because there in not enough time for the city to annex the portion before construction work is scheduled to begin.
Burn ban lifted
A week after enacting a burn ban because of dry conditions and reported grass fires, commissioners rescinded the ban, temporarily at least.
With more rain in the forecast, Commissioner Matthews suggested lifting the ban, which prohibits most outdoor burning in unincorporated county areas, for the immediate future.
Commissioners agreed but promised to monitor the situation and re-enact the ban if necessary.
- Cleburne
-
-
Burglars hit Joshua, Venus and Alvarado
Bond was set at $1,500 Friday for Timothy Hungate, a 50-year-old Burleson man charged with assault bodily injury.
-
Chamber: Come one, come all to the business expo
The Cleburne Chamber of Commerce is banking on a little change doing the Business and Outdoor Exposition a little good.
-
Court rules for woman
The Texas Supreme Court on Aug. 27 ruled that a Joshua woman paralyzed in a 2005 crash can pursue a contempt-of-court action against Toyota Motor Corp. for allegedly hiding information about automobile defects, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
-
Robertson retires from recreation
-
Cleburne man faces assault charge
A 62-year-old Cleburne man was magistrated Thursday in the court of Justice of the Peace Pct. 1 Ronny McBroom for assault.
-
Cleburne Conference Center recognized by building group
The Building of America Network selected the recently opened Cleburne Conference Center as one of its Building of America award winners.
-
Cleburne grad killed in U.S. 67 wreck
Wet road conditions are thought to have been a factor in an accident early Thursday that killed a Cleburne woman whose car ran into a tractor trailer. -
Cleburne veteran awarded ATI scholarship
A Cleburne resident is among those who have received an ATI Larry Gilbert/Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Scholarship that supports U.S. veterans living in Texas.
-
City tax rate protested, defended
A Tuesday called meeting of the Cleburne City Council prompted several residents to chime in on the proposed increase in city property tax rates. All voiced opposition to the measure.
City leaders are finalizing the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. -
Report faults pipeline operator for fatal explosion
The June 7 explosion of a gas pipeline near Godley resulted from numerous violations of state regulations by the operator, according to a Tuesday report by the Texas Railroad Commission.
- More Cleburne Headlines
-
Burglars hit Joshua, Venus and Alvarado
