ROCK PRAIRIE WIDENING PROJECT
The City of College has experienced exponential growth — especially to the south and west. With that growth expected to continue, FM 2154 (Wellborn Road) is increasingly critical in serving the area’s booming population.
A connectivity challenge exists to the west due to the Union Pacific railroad tracks paralleling FM 2154. For operational efficiency and safety, Union Pacific limits the number of allowed crossings, limiting access from the west to other parts of the city. In addition, the existing railroad crossings intersecting FM 2154 tend to be undersized and do not require traffic on FM 2154 to stop.
The Rock Prairie Road railroad crossing is one of only two signalized crossings south of FM 2818. The area around Rock Prairie Road has seen the most significant increase in development in the southern and western portions of the city, resulting in Rock Prairie Road being undersized for the level of traffic demand, including the intersection with FM 2154. The intersection has become a bottleneck for traffic due to the lack of separated turn lanes and inadequate access control nearby.
To address these issues — and at the recommendation of the 2015 Capital Improvement Citizen Advisory Committee — the city has planned several projects to improve the crossings along FM 2154 and enhance safety by increasing traffic capacity and connectivity. Specifically, Rock Prairie Road will be widened from Holleman Drive to FM 2154, the crossing improved, and medians implemented at the intersection with FM 2154.
The Rock Prairie Widening Project is expected to be completed by Fall 2023.