On Nov. 8, the Amarillo District of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will begin the US 87 Gateway Enhancement project in Canyon.

City Manager Randy Criswell said Canyon has been trying to do something about the Gateway for a long time.

“It is so ugly when you come from the north to town,” he said. “There is dirt and weed.  It is horrible looking.”

The city of Canyon applied for funding through the Federal Highway Administration’s Transportation Enhancement Program. TxDOT Public Information Officer Paul Braun said the project is expected to cost over $900,000.

“The city of Canyon applied to the fund and were approved through the Transportation Enhancement Project,” he said. “We realized there were some other issues.”For this reason, two projects were combined to get all aspects needed to change in one construction.

“Eight hundred thirty eight thousand was given by the TxDOT enhancement fund,” Braun said. “ One hundred nineteen thousand came from district construction funding.”

Criswell said the area coming to town from the north will be more beautiful once the project is concluded. The project includes landscaping, sidewalks, colored concrete pavers, LED lighting, and retaining wall.

“There will also be two permanent left lanes to improve traffic,” Criswell said. “The intersection wide to the north should improve drainage.”

Even though the project does not involve WTAMU’s property, the construction will affect traffic flow to and from campus.

“Once the project starts, it is advisable to avoid traffic and expedite people leaving and going from and to campus,” Patrick Coggans, director of police operations, said. “There are alternative routes you can take coming from Amarillo.”

The ramp from US 60 eastbound to US 87 southbound will be closed until the project concludes. The construction will involve the area north of Russell Long Boulevard under the Railway Bridge as well as the off ramp coming off the Hereford Highway.The project is expected finish by mid-spring.

WTAMU Police Department suggests the following alternative routes to avoid congestion:

• Use the 15th Street overpass to 2nd or 4th Avenue.
• Stay on US60 until it goes over US87 and then exit at Hunsley Road, travel east to WTAMU Drive.
• If traveling from Amarillo, either stay on I-27 until Hunsley Road and then proceed west to WTAMU Drive or continue southbound on I-27 until SH217 (Exit 106) and come into Canyon on 4th Ave by the First United Bank Center.
• Traffic departing Canyon may be reduced to one lane so you may want to leave campus via your alternate route as well.