The Texas Department of Transportation wants to replace the two-lane bridge over Lake Lavon with a span wide enough for six lanes of traffic.
The catch: the $230 million project has no construction funding.
TxDOT presented the proposal at an Aug. 25 open house at Southfork Ranch in Parker, according to Wylie News. The project would stretch 4.71 miles along FM 3286 and FM 546, from FM 1378 in Lucas east across the lake to FM 982 near Princeton. The corridor connects to Wylie-area roads and serves commuters crossing the lake between the two communities.
The new bridge would also include 10-foot-wide shared-use paths on both sides for pedestrians and cyclists, according to TxDOT's presentation materials.
The existing bridge carries one 12-foot lane in each direction with 10-foot shoulders. Under the proposal, the corridor would be built initially as a four-lane divided roadway with a raised median, designed to accommodate six lanes when traffic demands it.
TxDOT estimates the project would require about 13.79 acres of new right-of-way and could require three displacements, including two commercial structures. Relocation assistance would be available, the agency said in its presentation.
No money, no timeline
TxDOT's presentation states the project "cannot let until funding is identified." Letting is when the agency opens a project for construction bids.
The agency began data collection and schematic development in winter 2025. Environmental clearance is anticipated in late 2028, but all dates are tentative and depend on funding, according to TxDOT.
No construction date has been set.
The funding gap is not unique to this project. Collin County Commissioner Darrell Hale said in July that TxDOT's 2027 Unified Transportation Program (UTP) proposals do not include widening of any farm-to-market roads "and only a pittance of money" for state highways, according to the Murphy Monitor.
Hale urged residents in that same July statement to contact TxDOT directly: "Tell them what you are dealing with on what FM, SH, or U.S Highway. Tell them your desires. Nothing will change with no comments."
Growing east
The corridor sits in one of Collin County's fastest-growing areas. Brian Swanson, deputy chief appraiser at the Collin Central Appraisal District, noted in July that growth is spreading "in the east side of the county in Lavon, Nevada and Princeton," according to Wylie News.
A Collin County Future Mobility Study, completed between 2020 and 2023, previously identified the need for transportation improvements in eastern and southeastern Collin County, including early analysis of potential new freeway concepts east of Lake Lavon.
The public comment period for TxDOT's Aug. 25 open house closed Sept. 10. Residents with ongoing questions can reach TxDOT project engineer Kibru Andargie at 469-250-9063 or [email protected]. Project details are available at keepitmovingdallas.com.
