Q.    Where will the new loop be located?

A.     By extending 3 existing highways, traffic flow for all residents of TitusCounty and our region would be improved:

First, US 271 would be extended south and west around Mount Pleasant from where it meets US 67 near Foxworth Gaibraith Lumber. It would join up with business US 271 at a point south of Bates-Cooper-Sloan Funeral Home. Second, the Union Hill Road (FM 2348) would be lengthened northward from SH 49 to US 67, where it would link up with. the Argo Road (FM 1001) which runs to 1-30.

Third, FM 1000 would link the 2 extensions described above from near the old airport eastward to Union Hill Road, largely paralleling Tennison Road from South Jefferson to the Union Hill Road. It would also continue eastward from there to the Chapel Hill Road to provide additional safety and access to NortheastTexasCommunity College and the Chapel HillSchool District.

Q.    Why is the new loop needed?

A.     Traffic on the major arteries through Mount Pleasant -- South Jefferson (US 271) and Ferguson Road (SH 49) -- is congested and worsening. This loop would remove most large trucks and through traffic from these arteries. The loop would provide room for growth and opportunity for everyone in TitusCounty.

        Q.   What will the loop be like?

        A.    The loop will total approximately 12.2 miles of new construction: 5 miles on the west loop from US 67 to business US 271 south of the funeral home, 2.9 miles on the Union Hill Road extension northward, and 4.3 miles from the west loop to the Union Hill Road and Chapel Hill Road. It will have at least 6 overpasses to insure that traffic moves safely over all railroads and is separated with bridges at key intersections.

Q.    Why not let the state build the entire loop?

A.     In recent years the rules have changed. Today, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in Austin wants local areas to determine their own needs and to partner with the state in selecting and building needed highways. The state will reimburse the local government for most of the construction once it is completed. It will be built to TxDOT standards with TxDOT inspection and TxDOT maintenance.

Q.    How long have we been seeking a new loop system?

A.     Almost 10 years ago, plans for a partial west loop were begun. As the need has grown, the state has negotiated with a county-city-chamber planning group concerning the scope of the project. Both parties feel that future mobility needs require that the east and west loops should be built together as a loop system.

Q.    How much will it cost?

A.    The state will ultimately pay for approximately 80% of the project. The remaining approximately 20% would be paid for by local taxpayers. This local cost is reduced dramatically by up-front cash contributions to the project by the county ($3 million), the city ($4.5 million) and the Titus County Fresh Water District ($2 million for drainage improvements). The tax rate increase needed would not exceed 8.5 cents per hundred dollar valuation, and could be lower based on negotiations with TxDOT.

         Q.    How and why are these 3 boards offering to put cash up front and lower 
         the rate increase?

A.   Members of theses boards have reviewed the project and its value to all citizens of TitusCounty. By using currently available funds, these 3 boards are seeking to make the ballot issue both more attractive and more affordable, because this loop system will stimulate growth and opportunity for future generations in TitusCounty.