Roger Estlack

Communities along US 287 have just a few days left to fill out a state survey about possibly upgrading the highway to interstate standards. The deadline for the survey has been extended to September 27, and the link is at the bottom of this column. If you care about the long-term future of Clarendon and other small towns, you should definitely take five minutes and let the state know your thoughts.

Under consideration is a 671-mile stretch of US 287 running from Amarillo to Port Arthur. According to TxDOT, the comprehensive study will evaluate transportation needs and identify potential multimodal solutions to help improve safety and connectivity. The agency wants “to hear from communities, businesses, and the broader public what this corridor should look like and how it can connect communities and foster economic opportunities for Texans for years to come.”

Transportation access is critical to a community’s survival. Clarendon understood that in 1887. When the town learned that the Ft. Worth & Denver Railroad would not being coming through the community’s original location near present-day Greenbelt Lake, the entire town picked up and moved to be on the railroad. Many towns that were missed by the railroad simply disappeared or stagnated.

In the 20th century, what became known as US 287 also was important to the growth and success of Clarendon, providing a steady stream of revenue through the city for decades. Today, about 16,000 vehicles a day travel through town; and while many do not stop, those that do are vital for restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, and other businesses. From an economic development perspective, traffic count is one of the factors that certain businesses look at when considering locating in a community. The higher your traffic count, the more businesses you can attract.

The state is looking at the big picture of US 287. It must consider what is best overall for the state economy and the travelling public. US 287 is one of the busiest thoroughfares in Texas. Upgrading the highway to interstate standards with controlled access would increase the speed and efficiency of goods and people traveling on that road. However, it is safe to say that there is no good way to upgrade US 287 to an interstate through Clarendon – or Memphis or Hedley or Claude or Childress or a host of other small towns. That almost certainly means some form of bypass would be required.

We know what bypasses do to small towns. You can look at Groom and McLean and see what I-40 did for them when it supplanted old Route 66 and went around those little towns. Shamrock seems to have fared better, but there are still a lot of empty buildings that line the old highway.

South of here, US 287 already skips around places like Electra and Iowa Park. In Vernon, US 287 is practically already an interstate; you don’t even have to hit your brakes – just go 75 to 80 mph all the way through town.
For many years, Clarendon has been blessed by three things that keep our town economically stable – Clarendon College, Lake Greenbelt, and US 287. While the college is holding its own, the lake is struggling with the effects of prolonged drought. That makes it more important to hold on to and try to attract more revenue from US 287.

The state’s survey is just eight short questions. Most of it deals with when, how, and why you use US 287 and what concerns you have about the current highway as it is. The eighth and final question is open-ended and allows you to say whatever you want about the highway. The survey also allows you to “place a comment on the study map.” There you can drop a pin on a specific location and make your comment. If you think a place is a safety concern, drop a pin there and make your comment. You can also drop a pin in Clarendon and give your thoughts about the future.

Looking at the comments on the map this week is a little alarming. It appears that someone – or perhaps a bot – is making repeated comments in multiple locations, saying things like, “Please bypass Clarendon,” “Please bypass Memphis,” etc. Other comments are more thoughtful and unique, but many still are either open to or actively encourage bypassing our community. Traffic safety is usually the reason given for that stance.
Everyone’s opinion is valid, and everyone should go make their thoughts known. One thing that should be kept in mind, however, is the significant investment that has been made by existing businesses to locate in Clarendon and similar communities because of the highway. Those investments mean jobs and tax revenue for our towns. Moving the highway would put those businesses at risk and also make it harder to attract new businesses.

Keep in mind that this survey is just the first step in the long-term development of US 287. If the state decided tomorrow that it was going to bypass Clarendon, it would be many years – possibly decades – before it happens. Highway design, environmental impact studies, and right-of-way acquisition takes a lot of time, and then there’s got to be money appropriated. Think about how long we have been hearing about extending I-27 north of Amarillo and south of Lubbock. It’s been 30 years or more, and it still hasn’t happened yet. But it will someday.

Right now, you have a chance to speak, so don’t let the moment pass you by. Take five minutes and go fill out the survey. Here’s the link: https://www.txdot.gov/projects/projects-studies/statewide/us287-corridor-interstate-feasibility-study.html.