Construction Updates around Abilene: Buffalo Gap Rd., Loop 322, South 14th

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Construction projects were updated at the December meeting for the Abilene Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Loop 322 is one of the main connectors in town, stretching from Interstate 20 to the 83/84 highway. One thing residents have noted about the loop is the nosiness that occurs when driving on it. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), they will add an overlay seal coat to the road to preserve. The overlay will also address the noise, although that is not its main purpose. The project will not be finished until 2027.

Construction on Buffalo Gap Road is finished with paving the main road, but more work is still needed, including the sidewalks and striping, according to TxDOT. A new completion deadline is set for the Spring of 2025, around March or April.

On South 14th Street, shortly past the Willis Street intersection, Construction was being done on the bridge over Catclaw Creek. It seemed like construction was finished as the road opened back to two lanes, but that was not the case. Materials were stolen from the site, causing the project to be delayed. The city says they have been reordered and plan to start back on the project soon.

The intersection of Leggett Drive and North and South 1st Street also shows some construction on the railroad. Utility issues prolonged this project, but work should resume after the first of the new year. The crossing improvement TandP lane will wrap up soon after the first of the year, and after that one is done and back open, the work will be moved to the railroad crossing East of Leggett.