Forney, Texas – There are approximately four weeks left in construction work at the Gateway Bridge before opening for drivers – and providing much needed relief for Windmill Farms commuters.
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The bridge, which was expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2013, faced some unexpected weather delays which caused setbacks in the project. Construction crews are only able to lay concrete, hot mix, paint, and other construction materials in certain weather conditions which do not include wet and cold.
After an unseasonably wet October and colder-than-normal December, Forney's Assistant City Manager Gina Nash is enthusiastic about the upcoming weeks for construction. “We've got some opportunity here in the next couple of weeks to try to make up some time. That's the good thing.”
The opening of the bridge brings several announcements. One is the use of Irongate Boulevard for Windmill Farms residents who were forced to use Reeder Road which later closed due to unsafe driving conditions. The other, which is why the bridge was built in the first place, to open up approximately 2,000 acres of developable land to new retail and residential projects – without it, that wouldn't be possible.
Residents of Windmill Farms will be able to use Irongate Boulevard to access the U.S. Highway 80 service road which leads to the top of the bridge. According to Nash, there will be a four-way stop at the top of the bridge until it is deemed necessary to add a signal light. At the bridge's completion, there will also be a new, and much safer, entrance ramp after the bridge to westbound U.S. Highway 80 into Mesquite and Dallas.
Although the bridge will be open, all north and south travel will be prohibited until the developer completes Gateway Boulevard, formerly known as Forney Parkway – the new road connecting Farm-to-Market (FM) 548 on the north side of U.S. Highway 80 to FM 1641 on the south side. The north section, north of U.S. Highway 80, will cross over Reeder Road and in front of the Cedars at the Gateway apartment complex being built now. (See image gallery below for illustration.)
In a 2013 City of Forney's “News and Views” newsletter, Mayor Darren Rozell said, “Initially, there will be some apartments built on the far north side. There will be some residential probably somewhere on the south side. The retail will come – retail, entertainment, hotels, office, mixed-use. A master plan is being developed, but with such a large amount of land developing over such a long period of time, it has to have some flexibility built into it.”
Rozell did mention the toll the recession played in the early stages of the project and said, “This entire project could take as many as 20 years to develop … No one can map out today exactly what the development will be in 20 years from now. Just like Forney has evolved, we will have to grow into it.”
Rozell also answered questions concerning the funding and cost of the Gateway Bridge by stating, “In round numbers: the City of Forney has invested $3 million in right-of-way and engineering; we received about $9 million in Regional Toll Revenue from the Regional Transportation Council; and the Hunt Family Investment Group has invested about $12 million. There are no federal dollars in this project.”
After an unseasonably wet October and colder-than-normal December, Forney's Assistant City Manager Gina Nash is enthusiastic about the upcoming weeks for construction. “We've got some opportunity here in the next couple of weeks to try to make up some time. That's the good thing.”
The opening of the bridge brings several announcements. One is the use of Irongate Boulevard for Windmill Farms residents who were forced to use Reeder Road which later closed due to unsafe driving conditions. The other, which is why the bridge was built in the first place, to open up approximately 2,000 acres of developable land to new retail and residential projects – without it, that wouldn't be possible.
Residents of Windmill Farms will be able to use Irongate Boulevard to access the U.S. Highway 80 service road which leads to the top of the bridge. According to Nash, there will be a four-way stop at the top of the bridge until it is deemed necessary to add a signal light. At the bridge's completion, there will also be a new, and much safer, entrance ramp after the bridge to westbound U.S. Highway 80 into Mesquite and Dallas.
Although the bridge will be open, all north and south travel will be prohibited until the developer completes Gateway Boulevard, formerly known as Forney Parkway – the new road connecting Farm-to-Market (FM) 548 on the north side of U.S. Highway 80 to FM 1641 on the south side. The north section, north of U.S. Highway 80, will cross over Reeder Road and in front of the Cedars at the Gateway apartment complex being built now. (See image gallery below for illustration.)
In a 2013 City of Forney's “News and Views” newsletter, Mayor Darren Rozell said, “Initially, there will be some apartments built on the far north side. There will be some residential probably somewhere on the south side. The retail will come – retail, entertainment, hotels, office, mixed-use. A master plan is being developed, but with such a large amount of land developing over such a long period of time, it has to have some flexibility built into it.”
Rozell did mention the toll the recession played in the early stages of the project and said, “This entire project could take as many as 20 years to develop … No one can map out today exactly what the development will be in 20 years from now. Just like Forney has evolved, we will have to grow into it.”
Rozell also answered questions concerning the funding and cost of the Gateway Bridge by stating, “In round numbers: the City of Forney has invested $3 million in right-of-way and engineering; we received about $9 million in Regional Toll Revenue from the Regional Transportation Council; and the Hunt Family Investment Group has invested about $12 million. There are no federal dollars in this project.”