Rockwall City Council schedules work session on proposed Blacklands Corridor/Northeast Gateway

ROCKWALL, TX (August 27, 2014) The Rockwall City Council will hear a presentation from Public Werks, Inc. regarding the proposed Blacklands Corridor / Northeast Gateway / Tollway Study and Planning at its regular meeting on Tuesday, September 2, 2014, 4 PM at City Hall, 385 S. Goliad Street. This will be the first presentation made by the group to the City of Rockwall.

The Rockwall City Council passed a resolution at its previous meeting opposing the potential Blacklands Corridor route currently being considered that may go through the Rockwall city limits or in its extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ). The City Council took this action in part due to the lack of information and transparency of the private company working on the project. The study area includes parts of Collin, Dallas, Hunt, and Rockwall Counties and includes consideration of a new tollway connecting the City of Greenville with the President George Bush Turnpike.

A recent meeting of City of Rockwall representatives with representatives of the private developer have indicated that a new tollway route has been added for consideration which would be located in Rockwall County and partially within the City of Rockwall and its Extra- Territorial Jurisdiction; however, no documents indicating the new tollway route were provided to the City of Rockwall.

Citizen Input Opportunity – September 4th

The North Central Texas Council of Governments is hosting a public meeting for residents to learn about the Blacklands Corridor / Northeast Gateway Feasibility Study. It will be held on Thursday, Sept. 4, in Lavon at Nesmith Elementary School, 801 Presidents Blvd, Lavon, TX 75166. The Lavon meeting will begin at 6 pm.

The meeting will provide the final draft recommendations for the Blacklands Corridor Feasibility Study. Analysis discussing bicycle/pedestrian facilities, transit, new or expanded arterial roadways, improvements to IH 30, and construction of a new location freeway/tollway will be presented.

Representatives of a private developer interested in carrying forward plans for the freeway/tollway will be in attendance to answer questions. A project newsletter and other study materials are available at www.nctcog.org/blacklands. For more information, email transinfo@nctcog.org or call 817-608-2335. All concerned citizens are encouraged to attend.

  blacklands corridor, northeast gateway, public input, Rockwall city council, work session