Are You Kidding Me? More Road Construction For Amarillo.

We talk about the construction going on in Amarillo all the time. It seems at any given time, we've got 3-4 big construction projects on our roads that jam up traffic, get half completed before work seemingly stops, or just generally irritate us with how long it takes to finish.

I have some bad news. We're about to see another major construction project begin in the city, and this one involves I-27 once again.

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As of right now, they haven't completed the project over by I-27 and Washington yet, but they've decided now is a good time to get to work on the other end of I-27. Webber, LLC won a $312 million bid to upgrade I-27 from Loop 335 (Hollywood Rd) into Canyon.

WHAT ARE THEY DOING NOW

This project is an undertaking, and when it's finished, it'll be worth it. Things they're planning on doing is expanding that stretch of highway from four to six main lanes, so three on each side. As Amarillo and Canyon continue to grow, there will be a need for three lanes on each side.

Other improvements being made during the project will be to improve on-ramps and frontage roads, do some bridgework, and create some shared-use lanes and sidewalks where they can.

HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE

This is a major stretch of road and is going to take quite some time to finish. The estimated completion date is 2028, and work is planned to begin this summer. So get ready for four more years of construction, lane closures, lane shifts, etc.

WHAT IS THE MAIN REASON FOR THE CONSTRUCTION

According to both Amarillo Area Engineer Joe Chappell and the Canyon Economic Development Corporation, it's about safety. They also mentioned the impending increase of traffic on that stretch of highway as well as economic benefits that will come with the project.

So let's all take a deep breath, relax, and know we're in for four more years of major construction. We're going to need serenity.