By Alex Driggars from lubbockonline.com
Lubbock County officials officially broke ground on a road project years in the making Monday afternoon.
County commissioners, golden shovels in hand, turned ceremonial dirt on the first phase of the Woodrow Road improvement project, a $77 million expansion of the road approved by Lubbock County voters in 2019.
Construction on the first phase of the two-phase project began in late October and is expected to be complete by the fall of 2026, according to county officials. The Texas Department of Transportation will execute this first phase of the project with The Woodlands-based general contractor Webber, LLC for about $38 million.
Phase one of the project stretches from U.S. 87 to Indiana Avenue, passing in front of Lubbock-Cooper High School, and will convert 2.5 miles of Woodrow Road (also known as County Road 7600) from a two-lane county road to a five-lane thoroughfare.
Phase two, which is expected to commence in fall 2024, will similarly convert the remaining 2 miles at a cost of around $28 million.
“What we will get in the end is what I hope to be, and what we’re planning to be, one of the great arterials in this community that will serve the needs of the people of Lubbock County for the next 30 to 40 years,” County Judge Curtis Parrish said at the ceremony Monday.
Keith Bryant, superintendent of Lubbock-Cooper ISD, said more than 4,000 students, teachers and staff members travel down Woodrow Road every day to access three of the district’s schools within the project area.
“While it’s been a long time coming and there’s been a lot of emphasis over the years on the safety out here, we know that better days are ahead,” Bryant said. “The district is excited as we continue to grow, and growth continues to be on the horizon, and to have a five-lane thoroughfare that will serve the needs of our community for a long time is very, very much appreciated.”
Parrish urged motorists to be extra cautious as construction ramps up and continues in the coming years.
“During our time that we’re under construction, we want to ask that you pay attention to the yellow cones, and to our guys here in the in the orange vests,” Parrish said.
“Sometimes there’s a little growing pain as we deal with the construction,” the judge added. “Traffic will have to be slower, so if you’re used to a certain amount of time getting from your house, maybe down to the high school or some other places along Woodrow Road, give yourself plenty of time during this construction phase.”