Lubbock County finishes County Road 6900 expansion project, part of 2019 bond package

West Lubbock has a nice, new road.

Lubbock County officials cut the ribbon Monday morning on the portion of County Road 6900 (50th Street) between Upland Avenue and FM 179, bringing completion to the yearlong expansion approved by voters as part of the county's 2019 "Better, Safer Roads" bond package.

The project widened the two-mile road segment in west Lubbock from a narrow, two-lane county road to a three-lane thoroughfare with a center left-turn lane and added drainage and other safety improvements. It is the first project in the bond package the county has completed without help from another governmental entity.

Related: Lubbock County commissioners break ground on Woodrow Road expansion

During remarks Monday, County Judge Curtis Parrish said the road sets up that part of the city and county for tremendous expected future growth.

"I think (with) one look around here, you'll see how much growth has happened in this part of Lubbock County over the last couple of years," Parrish said. "This road not only meets that growth, but will be good to get ahead of that growth for the next 20, 30 and 40 years."

Commissioner Terence Kovar, who represents Precinct 1 including the new road, celebrated its completion Monday and touted the road's safety improvements.

"This road was in horrible shape. It looked like a patched quilt," Kovar said. "This is nothing but new development out here, and its going to continue to grow, so this is safety for all the development, all the citizens and all the students."

The segment of road is near Frenship Independent School District's planned second comprehensive high school, visible just to the north of the CR 6900 and Upland intersection. Also within a short drive is Frenship's recently opened Alcove Trails Middle School and the site of a planned new elementary school.

More: Frenship ISD cuts ribbon on Alcove Trails Middle School

Frenship ISD Superintendent Michelle McCord also acknowledged the road's safety improvements, which she says are critical with the new schools opening in the vicinity.

"It's a game changer for our constituents," McCord said. "We have parents taking their kids to different campuses. We also have … teenage drivers driving up and down these roads, so it's so important for our kids and parents to be able to safely get to school."

"I don't know that we would have ended up putting the (new high school) here had we not known about these road improvements," she added.

Kovar said that once all the projects in the 2019 bond have been finished — including the three-year Woodrow Road expansion project that kicked off this fall — he expects the Lubbock County Commissioners Court to start the process again, asking the public for more funding to fix more roads.

"We're trying to stay ahead of the curve. It's going to take another bond, another $100 million to $200 million bond for us to keep moving forward with the growth of Lubbock County," Kovar said. "We already have plans sitting on the shelf ready to go when we do go out to the public and ask for another bond."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock County finishes County Road 6900/50th Street expansion project