Commission Approves Funding for FM 2493 Project

TYLER – The Texas Transportation Commission has approved the update of the Unified Transportation Program authorizing partial funding for the expansion of FM 2493 from Loop 323 in Tyler to FM 2813 in Gresham. The Commission has allocated $26.15 million for construction funding. According to TxDOT, FM 2493 will be widened from 4 lanes to a 6-lane divided highway with flush median, from Loop 323 to FM 2813. Tyler District Engineer Glenn Green says the action allows TxDOT “to move forward with schematic development and environmental coordination for the project.”

According to a TxDOT news release, schematic development will begin next spring and will include providing additional lanes, as well as evaluating an overpass at Loop 323. The current construction funding target of $52.3 million will include the roadway widening; the overpass could be constructed with the widening or as a separate phase, depending on additional funding availability. The Tyler Metropolitan Planning Organization, the city of Tyler, and TxDOT are currently working to identify the remaining $26.15 million needed to fund the widening. The widening is currently projected to be ready for construction in 2024. Transportation Commissioner Jeff Austin III says the work will “improve mobility in this growing area.”