SHERMAN, Texas — Drivers who use FM 1417 in Sherman to get onto northbound US 75 will need another route starting Monday night.
The Texas Department of Transportation will close the entrance ramp from FM 1417 to the northbound US 75 main lanes at 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12, according to a TxDOT notice. At the same time, crews will close the left lane of the northbound frontage road from just south of FM 1417 to Davis Street.
TxDOT describes both as long-term closures that will last until the end of 2027.
Why the ramp is closing
Closing that stretch of frontage road gives crews room to build a new south-to-north U-turn bridge at FM 1417 and a new northbound US 75 exit ramp to Travis Street, according to TxDOT.
TxDOT said the schedule could change because of weather, mechanical problems or material supply issues.
Part of a $155.5 million widening
The closures are part of a 5.76-mile project to widen US 75 from four lanes to six divided lanes between FM 902 in Howe and FM 1417 in Sherman. Work began Oct. 5, when crews started setting barricades at the project limits, TxDOT said.
The contract, awarded to RPM xConstruction LLC, is valued at more than $155.5 million. Along with the added lanes, the project includes three new bridge structures, U-turn bridges at FM 1417 and a braided ramp north of FM 1417. Crews will also rebuild the main lane bridges over Choctaw Creek and the BNSF railroad crossing.
TxDOT said the project follows its US 75 Corridor Study, which looked at safety, congestion, freight reliability and the condition of the aging roadway.
What drivers should expect
According to TxDOT's district road report, two lanes of the US 75 main lanes will stay open in each direction during daytime hours, with occasional added lane closures at night. Drivers should also watch for frontage road lane closures. The speed limit on the main lanes through the work zone is set at 65 mph.
TxDOT is asking drivers to watch for barricades, signs and other traffic controls, slow down in work zones, avoid distractions such as phones, and stay alert for road crews.
Further north, a separate TxDOT project is rebuilding US 75 between US 82 and North Loy Lake Road in Sherman and Denison.