TxDOT: FM 2551 roughly halfway built; residents press safety and drainage fixes

Jennifer Aboster, county area engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation, told residents the FM 2551 project covers about 3.4 miles and is funded under a roughly $46,000,000 contract. "To date, about $23,000,000 of that work has been completed. So, we're about halfway through it on paper," she said.

Aboster described the primary causes of delay as the independent relocation of 12–16 utilities, major work by the North Texas Municipal Water District, the presence of limestone rock and several high-impact gas lines. She said contractor staffing levels and the sequencing of utility work have slowed drainage and other operations. Aboster told the meeting she received an updated schedule that now shows "spring 2028" for substantial completion and explained that TxDOT's definition of substantial completion means lanes are open in their final configuration, not that every finishing task is complete.

Residents pressed for specifics: several said potholes, temporary drainage, and lane-phase changes have made entering and exiting neighborhoods dangerous. Aboster said TxDOT will provide plan sets on request, accept specific addresses for targeted follow-up, and expects traffic to be placed on newly paved concrete sections in late 2026–early 2027 for parts of the corridor. She reiterated that much of the early-phase utility work exposes the biggest unknowns and that subsequent phases often move faster once those issues are resolved.

The city said it will publish a project FAQ and push updates via a new outreach portal and a QR code. TxDOT asked residents to submit remaining questions and promised direct email follow-up for property-level drainage or safety concerns.