ST9904-CS 990930COPPELL GAZETTE
"'11 I I I II '1
;Vol. i8. No. 11 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1999 50 cents
I for SH 121 project
Council of Governments, 830 ~l-
lion; Denton Count, 88.2 ~llion;
~d ~e S~te I~as~ucmre B~k . By JASON ~MER8 Freeport Parkway, De~.wn Tap
is ~on~g 810 ~l~on. sta~ ~it~ Road and Mac~thur Bou' t~od/e
~en coun~ ~d ci~ of~ci~s Traveling on State Highway "It ~11 pro~de for be~e ....
first beg~ loo~ng at ~e projecL 121 during rush hour can not only efficient ~affic along SH 121 ~th
cons~uc~on was not expected for be annoying, but it also can be much improved access to Sandy
15 ye~s. But on Aug. 10, ~e ci~' dangerous. ~e intersections of hke and Freeport Parkway,"
council ~ong wi~ ~e o~er five Sandy. hke and Coppell Road Griffin said.
cities, approved the use of ~e with SH 121 have been scarred ~ile it is expected to cost 840
State I~as~ucture B~k lo~, with a handful of auto collisions. million for construction of
which ~11 allow cons~uc~on to ~e abundance of accidents Coppe!l's portion of the highway,
begin by 2003. ~e entire project throughout the years has caused the entire project is valued at
is expected to be completed by concern among county and city $145.8 million dollars. Coppelrs
2008. officials, but the City Council on $2.06 million share of the project
Mayor Candy Sheehan sai4, 'D~ursday approved a resolulion it accotmls ~r almut 1.4 percent of
believes could be the beginning the entire $145 million project
'~is is a very ~sion~y thing on of the process to fix the problem. and 20.6 percent of the 810 mil-
·epart of the council. We have ta ~e council approved the ci~'s lion to repay the State
· ink re~onal ~d we have t8 financial commitment of $2.06 Infrastruclure Bank loan.
work toget~r ~th our neighbor- million to the construction of the Other cities, including
~g cities because we real~e o~ highway main lanes and inter- ~wisville, The Colopy,
citizens just don't my in a glal changes alon~ SH 121. Grapevine and C , .
dome here in Coppell." ,.~. '~e have an opportunity here," funding the e
Councilman hrry ~eel~r said Ken Griffin, ciW engineer. ~wisville and Coppell have
s~d he's experienced SH 121 pep '~e have an opportunity to put 82 approved their part of the ~nd-
sonally and said it can be nerv~ million down and ~el a 840 million in~, Grapevine, 'I~e Colony and
~acking ~th all of ~e ~uc~ project out of it. '~at's pretty Carrollton have not yet met to
being down on motorists every good bank for your buck. ~fis is approve their ~nding. Griffin said
day. He said the intersections
an innovative solution to solve the project would not be possible
dangerous and looks Brw~d t~ h re~lar transportation problems without ~ndin~ ~om each of the
the new highway where col: with a little amount of money.' five cities invoked. ~e other
muters can travel to and ~o~ ~e. l~mile project Will start cities are expected to approve
work ~ely. '~. "neaF"Parm-t~Market Road 2499 their ~ndi~ dudn~ their next
"I don't think we could
be~er value Br our moneB" ~ t and proceed alon~ SH 121, council meetings.
... through the Interstate Highway As the funding of the highway
s~d. -.,;, 3~SH 121 bypass, and will end in breaks down, the National
'~. Coilin Count. Griffin said the Highway System is providing 897
Conta~ staff writer Jason Lame~'~
)72-436-3566, ~. 122, or by e-mai[::~ construction includes diamond million; the North Cen~al Texas
~ewslead~aol.com. :.-:;~ .:: ~ .~ ,. ,, ,; interchanges at Sandy ~ke ~oad, Turn to PROJECT, Page 14A