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us175-blog · 5 years ago

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Newsbits

Hopefully this will be a regular feature...as often as there are things going on with -- and along -- US 175.

Now that I have a way again to check on things along the highway, I will be able to post them here, as well as pertinent updates to the US 175 Wikipedia page.

A few updates have recently been posted on Wikipedia, like: the shoulder work and repaving between SE Loop 7 in Athens and FM 804 in Baxter; a new plan (no start/ending dates revealed as of yet) to change up the lane arrangement of Bus US 175 in Athens on East Corsicana St. between the downtown square and where the lanes divide up on the city's SE side (4 lanes will change to 2, and a left turn lane will be added); the Dead-Man's-Curve/S.M. Wright project is still ongoing, even though the new connecting ramps at I-45 (the new US 175 west terminus) have been open for several weeks now.

As for things not posted to Wikipedia, there are several new/upcoming developments along/near US 175 that will possibly interest drivers: a new QuikTrip store is being built at the Belt Line Rd exit in SE Dallas (it replaces a motel and a tire shop, on the same corner as an adjacent Dairy Queen)-- the first QT to locate on US 175; a Panda Express and a Starbucks have opened at the Malloy Bridge exit in Seagoville (the same corner as, and just east of, the Shell/Jack in the Box); not to be outdone, Kaufman's Washington St.-Bus. TX 34 exit has attracted a Panda Express, a Starbucks, and a Burger King in recent months, although the King's Fort Market Center just off the service road has not attracted any more big-box attention since Walmart opened there a few years ago. Meanwhile: the corner at US 175/Loop 7/TX 31 on the NW side of Athens is getting a store (convenience? truck stop/travel center?) and gas station being developed by a firm from Corsicana...it will be the first snacks/fuel choice along Loop 7 since the loop was finished several years ago; new retail is coming to Frankston--an O'Reilly Auto Parts store is being built just east of TX 155 on a lot that had been a restaurant (it burned down in the last couple of years) and previously a lumber yard--the new store is due to be complete in December or January. And if all that weren't enough, Jacksonville is busy adding to its restaurant/retail scene (even though none of it is on US 175, yet)--on the heels of a new Wendy's, new Panda Express, and a new (more like a returning) Burger King all in recent months to a year, 2 new additions are coming.... a Chick-fil-A on US 69 (on the site of a now-former library, which was previously a grocery store) is kicking off construction; and closer to US 175 on US 69, on the site of a recently-bulldozed convenience store/wanna-be truck stop, construction is about to start on a 7-Eleven store (!!!!)--a first for Jacksonville. No word on a construction/opening timeline yet.

Well, kids, I'd say all that is quite a bit to look forward to. For now, I look forward to more posts in the future. Be good and safe everyone!

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