Three options to relieve traffic congestion on Old Jacksonville Highway were unveiled to the public on Thursday.

Two of the plans included adding medians to the most congested portion of the roadway between Grande Boulevard and Three Lakes Parkway, and the third proposed adding two center turn lanes in lieu of medians.

Brown and Gay Engineers, which was contracted to conduct a traffic study on the roadway, unveiled short-term solutions during an informal open house on Thursday at Southside Baptist Church, 15330 Old Jacksonville Highway.

The Tyler Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, a regional transportation planning group, commissioned the study to look at 13.8 miles of Farm-to Market Road 2493 from Loop 323 to where it connects to U.S. Highway 69 in Bullard.

The study provides a review of current conditions, looks at projections on what traffic will look like and gives suggestions on best ways to incorporate different types of traffic management.

Heather Nick, MPO executive director, said the meeting was intended to gather public input on the pros and cons of each option. No option has been selected, and depending on input, another open house could be called.

 

OPTION 1

Option 1 includes full, raised medians per Texas Department of Transportation standards.

The option was the least popular among the public attending the meeting, with someone asking, “Who designed this?” as it was presented.

The medians would not allow residents to take a left onto Old Jacksonville from Oak Hill Boulevard and Ashmore Lane, and it creates a “hooded” left from Hollywest Drive. The hooded left allows residents to take a left into the subdivision but not out of it.

Because of a likely increase in the number of U-turns, the plan calls for adding “acceleration lanes” on both sides of Three Lakes Parkway. The short, third lane would make U-turns easier and allow vehicles to merge back into traffic.

It also would add a right turn lane to get from Grande to Old Jacksonville.

The plan also calls for Chicken Express to relocate its driveway, and, in the future, would connect the driveways of Jucy’s, Merrill Lynch and Central Title to form an access road.

 

OPTION 2

Option 2 would use medians but shorten them below TxDOT’s textbook recommendations to allow traffic to get to major intersections.

It is a hybrid between Option 1, which focuses on medians, and 3, which mostly involves painted turn lanes.

Option 2 would create a 550-foot left turn lane from Old Jacksonville to Three Lakes Parkway, and another 550-foot left turn lane onto Oak Hill Boulevard.

The configuration would allow the medians to open to allow residents to take a left onto Old Jacksonville from Hollywest and Oak Hill.

Turn lanes also would be added for Kennebunk Lane and to the intersection of Old Jacksonville and Grande Boulevard.

The plan also calls for Chicken Express to relocate its driveway.

Mike Werner, developer of The Crossing, said this was his preferred option.

“My big concern is this Middle School (Three Lakes Middle School) and what it’s doing,” he said, adding he thought that option would do the best job at controlling school traffic.

 

OPTION 3

Option 3 basically is a repaint job, Sean Merrell, traffic engineer for Brown and Gay Engineers, said.

The option does not include medians and would restripe the 66-foot roadway to make the lanes smaller. 

Currently, the highway has four, 12-foot wide lanes and one 14-foot center lane. The reconfiguration would create six lanes that would all be 11-feet wide. Two center lanes would be created, allowing north and south traffic to get their own turn lane to decrease the probability of cars crashing into each other while trying to turn.

The configuration would be similar to the lane structure on Gentry Parkway. 

The plan also would add turn lanes to the north and south side of West Grande Boulevard.

Paul Ramrill, an Ashmore subdivision resident, said this was his preferred traffic management option. 

His primary concerns were on access to the subdivision. He was not in favor of adding medians to Old Jacksonville.

“Putting in raised medians means ‘go faster,'” he said.

 

BULLARD

Short-term recommendations call for adding turn lanes to Farm-to-Market 2493 at the intersection of Farm-to-Market 344, and realigning the street at the intersection of Panther Crossing to make traffic flow more efficient to and from Bullard ISD.

 

TRAFFIC LIGHTS

The plan proposed by Brown and Gay Engineers calls for coordinating and timing existing lights at Loop 323, Rice Road, West Grande Boulevard, Three Lakes Parkway and at Cumberland Road, which is under construction.

Lights are proposed for the Brookshire Grocery Co. Distribution Center and Capital Drive intersection, as well as at Farm-to-Market 346 in Flint, Toll 49, Farm-to-Market Road 344 in Bullard and for Panther Crossing at Bullard High School.

TWITTER: @TMTFaith

 

OLD JACKSONVILLE TRAFFIC VOLUME

28,000 vehicles north of Rice Road

26,500 vehicles south of Grande Boulevard

21,500 vehicles north of Cumberland Road

17,400 vehicles north of Toll 49

13,800 vehicles south of Farm-to-Market Road 2813

6,000 vehicles north of Farm-to-Market Road 344

3,300 vehicles south of Farm-to-Market Road 344

* volumes were calculated before the opening of Three Lakes Middle School