TROY, Texas — Residents in Troy are taking to social media to express their concerns and frustrations over the road closure and construction happening along W. Main Street.
Last week, the City of Troy posted on its Facebook page, saying the Trojan Road entrance to Troy High School will no longer serve as a detour for drivers on July 29.
As a result, drivers have to take the official detour, which is along the I-35 frontage road to E. Big Elm Road then to Old Highway 81 until W. Main Street, said Troy's City Administrator Gary Smith.
"There's a lot of traffic that runs down that road because of all the schools that are there," Troy resident Jon Blakely explained. "I'm hoping that it definitely is a better commuting road that we can be a lot safer on because it wasn't before."
The detour stretches a total of two miles each way, which Smith recognizes as inconvenient for drivers in the area. He said Troy ISD had to close down the Troy High School detour "solely for the purpose of protecting students on campus is the reason that parking lot is closed."
"To the people who are inconvenienced, to the people who are concerned, I get it," Smith said. "We don't want them inconvenienced any longer than at all possible or necessary and we will open that road as soon as we physically can."
Drivers should only have to take the detour for the next two weeks, Smith projected. He said crews are scheduled to begin paving the road on Monday, Aug. 5 and they should have the road back open by Monday, Aug. 13 -- just in time for the start of the 2024-2025 school year.
"Now that doesn't mean the whole job is finished, of course," Smith said. Construction should last until March 2025, he added.
"W. Main Street contains three of our four schools in the city," Smith explained. "It's a very congested area during school days, in the mornings and afternoons, so the intent is to build that road basically from the base up and to make it a little bit wider and safer."
Smith said Troy has grown 44% since 2021 and is the fastest growing city in Bell County, This has played a role in how many road projects the city takes on at one time.
"Troy has some of the lowest property taxes in Bell county, but what goes with that is less money to spend on those things that our citizens want and need," Smith added. "We will do the best we can with the resources we have."
The project is expected to cost the City $4 million to complete. Residents can stay up-to-date with its progress by visiting the City of Troy Facebook page or by checking out the official City of Troy website.