At the November 12th 2024 City Council meeting, the City’s Assistant City Manager, Karl Zook, presented an update for roads in Forney city limits. This presentation was for mostly roads proposed by the 2021 Bond Committee which passed in the city bond election in November 2022. Roads that were proposed by the Bond Committee included Lovers Lane expansion and improvement, a new road connecting Monitor Lane to FM 548 which would give a connector route south of Forney High School, and a connecting road on the west side of Forney Community Park as an extension of Justice Way. In the summer of 2022 city council added to the Roads Proposition and grade separation or “bridge” in to be determined in the downtown area of Forney at approximately $24 million dollars for construction. Currently council has issued the bond debt service for just under $1 million dollars for an engineering study to be completed to find or locate where a grade separation could possibly be built. As the study is still being completed, per Mr. Zook’s update, they have identified 5 possible locations for a bridge near the downtown area of Forney.
A far western location connecting Broad St behind downtown continuing south, an extension of Pinson past Busters and the Cemetery from Broad St and ending into the Historical homes around W Trinity St, connecting Oak St from Buffalo St to Church St, connecting Chestnut St from Buffalo St to Colgate, and making a new connector from Community Park to Regal Dr. The Oak St and Chestnut St options could potentially threaten many homes included what is Forney’s Historically African-American neighborhoods. The proposed location on Chestnut St potentially altering current city dedicated parkland on the former site of Booker T Washington School, Forney’s Historical African-American School established in the late 1800s prior to desegregation.
Mr. Zook presented the city was considering a public meeting date to go over the proposed locations in late January or early February of 2025. All Things Forney will update with any such meetings that are scheduled for the public. Linked below is the full presentation and link for the city video for review.
November 12th, 2024 City Council Meeting Video
