Kaufman County Outer Loop Project May Impact Forney Residents

Don Purdum
Post Editor

April 17, 2008

Last Thursday, April 10th, the North Central Council of Governments (NCCG) Transportation Department met at the Forney ISD Administrative Building to discuss the Kaufman County Outer Loop, which will directly impact the Forney area.

With the explosive growth of the Dallas/Forth Worth area expanding at 1 million people every seven years, according to a study done by the NCCG, Forney and Kaufman County is expected to see lot of growth within the next twenty years.

Post research has confirmed that Forney City Manager Brian Brooks, and Public Works Director Mike Shook were in attendance along with Mayors from Seagoville and Red Oak, among other Kaufman County officials. Forney Mayor, Darrell Grooms was reportedly not in attendance at the meeting.

Recent research has revealed that during the meeting a Forney Police officer was posted outside the buildings entrance to prevent public access.

Ray Clark, Kaufman County Commissioner for Precinct 2, said "residents from the Helms Trail area wanted to sit in on the meeting, after realizing they were unhappily waiting outside the building, I got them in" (to the meeting).

In the slide presentation provided to those in attendance, the Outer Loop will connect with the Loop 9 project, coming from Seagoville, and move north into Forney, paralleling Helms Trail, cutting a large swath to the either the east or west of Windmill Farms, and connecting into Rockwall County.

According to the slide presentation at the closed meeting, the projected toll road will have six frontage roads, six lanes for general usage and a widened median dedicated as a truck lane. Also included in the project will be a Freight Train By-Pass, however, it is expected to go well south of Forney and east of Terrell.

Commissioner Clark said "there is property that can be taken by eminent domain, especially along Helms Trail", further stating that he is "working to ensure that the roadway goes into areas that are unoccupied by residential communities."

To help ensure that eminent domain is minimized, or does not become an option, a Citizens Advisory Committee will be formed to help identify problems with the plan, and to give citizens a voice and input. As details become available, The Post will keep readers updated.

According to the NCCG website, the project will be completed in approximately 2025.