Chamber votes for traffic reroute
Aug. 19—The Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce unanimously voted on Thursday in favor of rerouting traffic between Farwell, Texas, and Texico, rather than building an overpass over railroad tracks, to alleviate traffic delays due to passing trains at the state line.
The chamber's vote was based on the "markedly negative economic impact for businesses and residents" that line Wheeler Street in Texico if an overpass were built above the railroad tracks, according to a news release from the chamber.
Construction of an overpass that would stretch from FM 292 in Farwell to College Avenue in Texico would affect 25 commercial, commercial, residential and municipal sites "that are essential to the prosperity of the Texico community," the news release stated.
The overpass would also increase public safety response time by 30 minutes or more to resident on the south side of Texico, the news release stated.
The rerouting alternative would direct eastbound traffic to U.S. 60 in Texico, to U.S. 60's intersection with FM292 in Texico. Traffic would then travel south on FM292 to Avenue A, which is also U.S. 70, to allow traffic to continue east in Texas.
Westbound traffic would be directed onto FM 292 from Avenue A , then to U.S. 60 to Texico.
The rerouting alternative will have a"smaller impact to the community" because there would be "less infrastructure destruction" than the overpass alternative would produce, the news release stated.
The chamber urged residents to support the rerouting alternative.
The Texas and New Mexico departments of transportation have been discussing the two alternatives and are expected to make a decision this fall.
