The detour will make way for construction through the south side of town.
The Texas Department of Transportation will detour traffic from U.S. Highway 77 through Downtown Waxahachie starting May 27, 2021 and continuing through Spring 2022.
Starting at 7:00 p.m. on May 27, both north and southbound traffic on U.S. 77 will be diverted to South Monroe Street. One northbound lane on U.S. 77 between Madison and Monroe Streets will remain open while the southbound lane is reconstructed. While the detour is effective, several side streets will also be closed, one at a time, with detours for West Madison Street, West Jefferson Street, West Franklin Street, and Water Street.
The detour will make way for construction of a new bridge over the railroad tracks that will replace the current, 80 year-old viaduct that has become structurally unsound and deemed unable to meet the future traffic demands.
When the project is completed sometime in early 2022, northbound traffic will be routed along the two lanes that are known as Elm Street, and two southbound lanes will run through Monroe Street.
The construction project began two years ago in the summer of 2019 and will change the way traffic flows for just under a mile from the south side of the viaduct to just past the Downtown Waxahachie area. The budget for the new bridges and roadway is nearly $22 million.