Flour Bluff Drive is set for its biggest upgrade in years, and residents say it can't come soon enough.
The 2.5-mile stretch from Don Patricio to Yorktown has long faced traffic, lighting,sidewalk and drainage problems. Voters approved improvements in 2022 as part of a $125 million bond package.
The plan includes a walking path along the entire corridor. The busiest stretch, from Don Patricio to Grand Canal, would expand to 5 lanes.
Right now, families walk near traffic because there are no sidewalks. JT Gragg, a Flour Bluff resident who lives right off the busy street, said the changes are long overdue.
"I have a boy, 4 years old, so for him being in school pretty soon, that'd be a good thing to make sure he's, um, taken care of as he gets older to walk to and from school and stuff," Gragg said.
Drainage is another concern for businesses along the corridor. Marty Benge, owner of Choice Marine LLC, which sits right off Flour Bluff Drive, said standing water is a persistent problem.
"These ditches alongside here, they fill up with water. They fill up with water and hold mosquitoes," Benge said.
Benge acknowledged the project will bring some disruption but said the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term costs.
"I know it's gonna affect some business. I, I know it does, but they will keep the roads open for access to the businesses, but it's growth, it's expansion. There's, there's not a week go by. I don't see a U-Haul truck coming in here, going to one of these new homes being built," Benge said.
For a community that's growing, some neighbors and businesses say the road needs to grow with it.
"It's Flour Bluff, the old Flour Bluff's changing. It's changing. We hate to see it go away in some aspects, but it's growth. It's going to happen," Benge said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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