Abilene residents fed up with traffic near data center

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Residents say a new route for workers on the data center project is causing a significant increase in traffic in the area, resulting in very long delays.

What used to take Lisa Oliver roughly ten minutes is now taking up to two hours for her to get to work. Oliver lives in the neighborhood of Northshore Drive, close to where Old Anson Road and Highway 277 intersect, and says that for the past week, the traffic congestion has become a nightmare.

“That’s why we purchased the property. It was quiet. It was peaceful. Now it’s getting horrible. The traffic is backed up. They’re not stopping at the stop signs. APD does what they can for two hours a day,” Oliver shared.

Beginning around 4:30 a.m., thousands of vehicles pass through this area within a two- to three-hour span, causing traffic to back up not only on the frontage roads but also along Highway 277 heading into Abilene.

Residents attribute the latest congestion increase to data center workers using a new entrance along a service road on the west side of Highway 277.

One worker commuting to the data center job site, identified only as D.L., has been working as an electrician on the project for about two months. He spoke with our crew about the bumper-to-bumper conditions while stuck in traffic.

“Traffic has been like this since I got here. I don’t think they have enough police officers to manage the infrastructure for what’s going on over here,” he said.

While Abilene Police officers direct traffic during peak hours, residents like Oliver say that it may not be enough to keep them in the neighborhood.

“It’s getting to where we don’t want to live here anymore. We’re ready to put our property up and move,” Oliver expressed.

KTAB/KRBC has reached out to the data project center leadership, the Abilene Police, and the Texas Department of Transportation for details regarding the traffic and will continue to bring you more information as it develops.