Marsha Sharp Freeway Project - Lubbock's East/West Access

Historical Overview

The concept of an east-west access was first introduced in the 1964 Lubbock Urban Transportation Plan, a document created to address future traffic growth and transportation needs beyond the year 1985. The 1964 plan was replaced in 1969 by the second volume that suggested making "heavy improvements" along U.S. 82 from Loop 289 to Avenue A. The idea was to provide a highway that would temporarily handle the traffic volume until a freeway could be completed at another location. Interestingly, that other location was farther south along 37th or 38th Street. The third volume in 1975 was actually presented to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and called for substantial improvements to U.S. 82 with a proposed freeway somewhere between 32nd and 38th Street.

It was later determined that this location was not appropriate for freeway traffic, and the idea of building the freeway along U.S. 82 was presented to the public in 1989 at three general meetings held at Saint Luke’s United Methodist Church and Ramirez Elementary School.

It was here that Senator John Montford took a more active role. Montford appointed a regional committee to monitor freeway planning and development, and his aides called TxDOT once a week to find out how things were progressing.

A public hearing in 1993 drew more than 1,000 participants. Public comments extended into the wee hours of the morning. People were concerned about how this project, both the freeway and the rail relocation, would affect their lives and the Lubbock community.

But, the 1993 public hearing was the turning point for the project.

It took four years for the state to complete the three-volume 1,100-page environmental document, but even when it was finished there was still a lot that needed to be done before construction could start. A few milestones include:

• The environmental document was approved in April of 1995. And in July of that year, the FHWA signed the Record of Decision that gave the Lubbock District the authority to begin developing plans and buying right-of-way.
• The first parcel was purchased on January 29, 1996.
• In 1997, TxDOT hired two design consultants—Dallas-based HNTB and Fort Worth-based Dannenbaum Corporation—to develop the plans for the freeway.
• A $7 million storm sewer project was completed in 1997.
• In October of 1998, the district received $17.8 million from the Texas Transportation Commission to partially fund the first phase and $20 million from Congressional High Priority Funds for the second phase.
• Another $28.6 million came from the Transportation Commission for the second phase—the portion through Texas Tech.
• TxDOT purchased Texas Tech property for $12.4 million, the largest acquisition in the history of the district.

A proposed view of the freeway at University Avenue and US 82, just east of the Texas Tech campus.