CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — TxDOT has begun an $80 million expansion project on SH 286, or Crosstown, between FM 2444 and FM 43, or South Staples Street and Weber Road.
The project aims to expand the stretch of SH 286 between Weber and Staples from a single-lane road into a divided highway with two lanes in each direction. Additional improvements include frontage roads, sidewalks, and lighting upgrades.
TxDOT Public Information Officer Rickey Dailey said safety was a key reason for the project.
“When you have a two-lane undivided highway, you’re subject to head-on crashes. This will increase safety immensely by dividing that traffic, giving them each two lanes with shoulders," Dailey said.
The expansion will be completed in four phases. The first phase, which began on Feb. 3, focuses on constructing southbound frontage roads, ramps, and U-turns between Weber and Staples. It will also include new traffic signals at Staples. According to TxDOT, drivers can expect some lane closures during this phase.
Not all drivers were in favor of the project. One commuter expressed doubts about whether the road needed expansion.
“I travel down that road sometimes three or four times a week. It can be congested here and there. Really, it depends on the time of the hour. But I don’t personally think there’s enough traffic that goes back that way,” the driver said.
However, Pastor Dante Paiz of Church Unlimited on Weber Road welcomed the expansion, noting that it would benefit the church, which sees several thousand members each weekend.
“The expansion of these lanes will only increase the safety. And so that’s paramount to us, and so that means a lot to us. In addition to the excitement we have about being a part of a growing community,” Paiz said.
Dailey added that the project also accounts for the increasing development in the Southside area.
“Many subdivisions [are] going in out there. So we’re seeing increased traffic. And again, this is another step in us meeting the needs of the public,” Dailey said.
According to TxDOT’s traffic count, the annual average daily traffic in the area grew by about 30% between 2021 and 2023.
“So it’s a vast improvement over that section. It is to increase capacity, mobility, and safety," Dailey said.
The project is expected to be completed in 2028, barring any weather or material-related delays.
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