During an Oct. 27 meeting, Denton City Council failed to adopt a resolution supporting the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) proposed routes for the Denton County Outer Loop freeway. The council split evenly, 3‑3, after Council Member Suzi Rumohr pulled the item from the consent agenda for individual discussion.
What the Outer Loop proposal entails
The Outer Loop is a 20‑mile, six‑lane freeway intended to link Interstate 35 in Denton County with the Dallas North Tollway in Collin County. TxDOT and Denton County are jointly advancing the project, inviting cities along the corridor to review alignments and submit resolutions expressing local preferences or concerns.
Two of the four alignments under review—Alignments B and B2—run within Denton’s municipal boundaries, while the other two lie in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. City transportation staff recommend the B and B2 options, citing several factors:
- Insufficient contiguous east‑west roadways for Denton’s current and projected traffic.
- Projections that Denton’s population and employment could double by 2050.
- The need to expand road capacity to alleviate congestion.
- Lower floodplain and environmental risks for Alignments B and B2 compared with alternatives.
Council debate and concerns
Council Member Suzi Rumohr was the sole council member to speak during the discussion, voicing strong opposition to the staff recommendation. “I’m just concerned about what this is going to do in terms of attracting really sprawling development… Our taxpayers are struggling with all of this massive infrastructure we’re having to build up front to fund all of the growth that we’re seeing,” Rumohr said.
Rumohr also recalled a conversation with a project planner a year earlier, in which the planner suggested widening existing roads as a mitigation strategy for congestion and safety. “Which is what we’re doing with I‑35, and it’s still congested, still killing people,” she added, underscoring her skepticism about the Outer Loop’s ability to solve traffic problems.
Next steps for the project
TxDOT plans to formally recommend its preferred alignment by the end of 2026, followed by a final Environmental Impact Statement and an official route selection in 2027. For Denton’s council to endorse a specific route before TxDOT completes its environmental review, a council member would need to request a motion for reconsideration, or staff would have to present a revised resolution.
The deadlocked vote leaves the city without an official stance on the Outer Loop at this time, but the discussion highlights the tension between anticipated growth, infrastructure costs, and community concerns about sprawl and safety. Residents and local businesses will be watching closely as TxDOT’s next recommendations emerge later this year.
Original reporting: Community Impact — Denton — read the source article.
