Countdown at the Taylor County Expo: Crews race to finish in time for West Texas Fair & Rodeo

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – It’s a race against time at the Taylor County Expo Center, with the Texas High School Rodeo kicking off this week and the West Texas Fair & Rodeo just a couple of months away.

The Expo is undergoing a $4.5 million parking lot upgrade, and as construction progresses, some drainage problems have been discovered. Water drains slowly near the round building. The solution — a 350-yard drainage flume that will direct water into the ditch along East South 11th — will be built. At the same time, construction will begin on the Expo’s largest parking lot, located just east of the center. Crews are hoping to complete the work before the fair arrives.

The drainage flume will also involve tearing down a fence and rebuilding it after the work is done. Crews say as soon as the Texas High School rodeo leaves town, they will tear down the fence and get to work. They have approximately a 75-day window to complete the drainage and the parking lot.