ODEM, Texas — Every day, thousands of cars and trucks pass through Odem, and that traffic means business. But a proposed I-69 relief route could eventually send many of those drivers around the city instead.
By 2031, all of that traffic through Odem could begin to look very different.
For Jeffrey Acker, Odem wasn't his destination — he was just passing through. But that pass-through traffic brought him there.
"I passed through on the way in and on the way back. Purchased fuel and snacks, whatever. So I can see how that would have an impact," Acker said.
When asked if he would still come through Odem if a bypass was available, his answer was simple.
"Probably not," Acker said.
That's exactly the potential impact city leaders are preparing for.
"The numbers that they came up with were eye-opening. I think it opened up our council's eyes as well that there will be a substantial impact to us, not only in revenue, but just in financial output with our businesses that depend on the traffic that we have here," Mayor David Maldonado said.
An economic impact analysis from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi estimates Odem could see between $1.62 million and $5.46 million in annual direct business output losses, depending on how much traffic is diverted. Gas stations, restaurants, and retailers could be among the businesses most impacted.
"As businesses move or close down, we lose jobs, on the low end we would lose maybe 10 jobs, on the high end we could lose somewhere between 30 and 35 jobs inside the city limits," Maldonado said.
TxDOT says the proposed project would upgrade US 77 to interstate standards and build a new relief route around Odem as part of future I-69 East, but the project is still years away. Preliminary design and environmental studies are still underway.
City leaders say they don't want to wait until the economic impact is already being felt. That could mean looking at annexing land or attracting new businesses that don't depend as heavily on highway traffic.
"It's gonna happen, it's just a matter of how long it's gonna take, but preparing early is always the best-case scenario," Maldonado said.
TxDOT is giving residents and business owners a chance to weigh in on the project. A public meeting runs from 5 to 7 p.m. on December 3 at the Odem Junior High School cafeteria.
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