MIDLAND, Texas — SH 158, a highway many in the Permian Basin drive on, may be seeing some improvements in the near future.
Midland Development Corporation is bringing in some funding to help increase the chances of it being widened.
"So it’s up to TXDOT when that road gets widened," said Sara Harris, MDC executive director. "Right now, it’s on the list for roads to be widened, but funding hasn’t been identified."
"Our hope here locally in Midland is that by the MDC providing funding for design and engineering, those plans will be shovel ready, and when there are additional funds identified, it could be possibly bumped up the list to accelerate that construction," said Harris.
This week, MDC entered into a professional service agreement with Kimley-Horn and Associates to help with the widening and improvement of the roads on SH 158 from Sinclair Avenue to Wadley Avenue, and from Wadley Avenue to Briarwood Avenue, costing $1.4 million.
"We want to put local dollars up to show that this is a priority for our region," said Harris. "The MDC has done that before with other projects and partnered with TxDOT, so we’re hoping to do that again."
Harris said with the city growing, this can be a great opportunity.
"We’re seeing so much development along 158 now," said Harris. "There’s new single-family, new multi-family, bass pro has announced they're coming in there along with additional retail. So it’s a big growth corridor, so there’s an opportunity to get ahead of the need because two lanes just aren’t serving what that growth is going to be."