Road work ahead — Inspiration-Military Parkway Loop

This article originally ran in the March 10 issue of the Progress Times.

One of Mission’s ongoing roadway expansion projects is at Inspiration Road and Military Parkway Loop. Although the city has had the project in the pipeline for several years, the site is nowhere near the construction phase. But the Mission planning department has been working behind the scenes to accelerate the process to meet the growing city’s needs. 

The project spans a perpendicular stretch of roadway from Expressway 83 to Conway Avenue — Inspiration Road, from the expressway to Military Parkway, and Military, from Inspiration to Conway. The plan is to expand a four-and-a-half-mile stretch of road from two to four lanes, with two lanes on each side running in opposite directions. 

The expansion would enhance mobility, reduce congestion, update the roadway to current design standards and improve the drainage system in the area. A project fact sheet from the Texas Department of Transportation states the need for expansion is to adapt to traffic growth. 

“In its present state, Inspiration Road/Military Parkway cannot accommodate existing and projected traffic volumes,” the 2020 notice reads. “[It] has undesirable turning movements at intersections, gaps in the local transportation network and lacks bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.” 

So far, the city has allocated $25 million for the project, but staff needs to update the engineering estimate. With construction and engineering costs increasing in the last few years, Assistant City Manager J.P. Terrazas believes the project cost has also increased. However, he does not have an estimate on the new cost yet.

Because it is a federal project and TxDOT is the funding source, Mission must comply with TxDOT standards and specifications, which lengthens the process. 

The project is in the environmental assessment stage, which should be complete by summer 2023. After, the city will begin the right-of-way acquisition, where they start acquiring the properties from owners in the affected area. The acquisition process could last up to two years, depending on the parcels and condemnation or if property owners oppose the project. 

Next month the community will have the opportunity to see the scope of work and the schematics at a public hearing. The city will have a video presentation detailing the project and staff on location to answer questions. The public hearing is April 26 at Leal Elementary from roughly 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., depending on attendance. Following the hearing, the same video presentation will also be available on the City of Mission and TxDOT websites. People will have the opportunity to provide online comments as well. 

Terrazas said the community well-attended public hearings before the COVID-19 pandemic, so city staff is trying to get the word out to locals. 

“Hopefully we get people interested in going,” the assistant city manager said. “Most of the people that go are the residents that are going to be affected that live adjacent or along the roadway. We’re going to be approaching them to acquire and buy their properties.” 

Terrazas said the city will not displace any residents. But one plaza closer to the expressway has about 10 feet of roof in need of displacement. 

“Once we do the assessment reports and the appraisal reports, they will assess the area and see how much damage we’re going to do to that building, and they will be compensated for that,” he said. 

The original TxDOT timeline does not have construction starting until at least 2027. But the assistant city manager said he and city staff are pushing the Inspiration-Military Parkway Loop project to commence as soon as 2025 to help alleviate the traffic pains in that area.