WAXAHACHIE – Waxahachie and TxDOT hosted an open-house public meeting earlier this month detailing several additional logistical, historical, and financial details about the upcoming Midlothian to Waxahachie Trail project.
The total budget for the 2.3-mile pedestrian infrastructure project is estimated at $4.2 million.
Regulatory oversight was discussed and the project is environmental-review protected and falls under federal highway guidelines, administered via a formal agreement between the Federal Highway Administration and TxDOT.
It was reported beneath Interstate 35E, the frontage road is being completely reconstructed to fit the new layout.
It will be modified to feature one 12.5-foot-wide vehicular lane, running alongside the foot-foot safety barrier and the 10-foot-wide section of the trail.
The overall project study area utilizes a conservative proposed right-of-way width that ranges significantly from 50 feet to 425 feet depending on the section of the corridor.
Overall, this project is the culmination of years of planning and is directly built on both the 2014 Ellis County Trail Corridor Research Project and the 2020 Preliminary Engineering Study managed by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG).
These studies established the initial alignment options and feasibility for connecting the two cities before TxDOT and the City of Waxahachie advanced it to the formal blueprint phase shown at the 2026 hearing.
Even though the in-person meeting has concluded, the formal public comment window remains open. Community members have until Friday, Sept. 25, to submit written feedback.
Digital printouts of the Official TxDOT Comment Form can be emailed directly to Kelly Saladis at Kimley-Horn (kelly.saladis@kimley-horn.com).
For general layout questions, citizens can contact Amour Boynton at (469) 309-4146.