TxDOT, the Lubbock Metropolitan Planning Organization, and county and city leaders came together to celebrate the Marsha Sharp Freeway widening project’s completion on Monday morning.
The construction lasted nearly a year, as crews added a lane on either side to the freeway. The freeway now stretches six lanes wide from Downtown to the W. Loop.
Mayor Dan Pope said it will allow for more growth in the city and help with the flow of traffic as that growth happens.
“It adds to the quality of life. In Lubbock, Texas, you don’t think about traffic, and we want to keep it that way,” Pope said. “You want to be able to get from point A to point B safely and with relative quickness.”
As crews picked up the orange construction cones, the speed limit picked back up, too.
“I’m thankful that our citizens did slow down [during construction], but I think some of them haven’t quite noticed the speed limit has changed,” Mayor Pope said.
Drivers told EverythingLubbock.com they are thankful construction has wrapped up.
“It’s a whole lot better. It’s a lot quicker. You don’t have to worry about the 55 mph anymore,” one driver said.
Another added, “It’s caused a lot of traffic and a lot of problems lately. So I’m looking forward to it.”