According to Community Impact, Denton City Council failed to adopt a resolution endorsing Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) routes for the Denton County Outer Loop after a 3‑3 tie vote at the Oct. 27 meeting. The deadlock means the council has not formally expressed a preference for any of the proposed alignments while TxDOT continues its environmental review.
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 proposed routes and submit resolutions reflecting local preferences or concerns.
City transportation staff recommended Alignments B and B2, which intersect Denton’s municipal boundaries, over the two alternatives that run solely through the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. Their recommendation cited four key factors: the lack of a contiguous, major east‑west corridor for Denton, projections that the city’s population and employment could double by 2050, the need to expand road‑network capacity to reduce congestion, and the lower floodplain and environmental risks associated with Alignments B and B2.
During the council discussion, only Council Member Suzi Rumohr spoke, opposing the staff recommendation. She warned, “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 also recalled a prior conversation with a project planner who suggested widening the road to mitigate congestion and fatalities, noting, “Which is what we’re doing with I‑35, and it’s still congested, still killing people.”
The council’s tie vote leaves the endorsement unresolved. TxDOT plans to formally recommend its preferred alternative alignment by the end of 2026, followed by an announcement of the preferred route, a final Environmental Impact Statement, and an official selection in 2027. For Denton’s council to endorse a route before that timeline, a council member would need to request a motion for reconsideration, or staff would need to present a revised resolution.
What’s next for Denton residents? The city will continue to monitor TxDOT’s alignment recommendation process. Residents should watch for any future council motions to revisit the endorsement and for public meetings related to the final Environmental Impact Statement, which will shape how the Outer Loop impacts traffic, development, and community safety in Denton.
Sources: communityimpact.com, communityimpact.com
