UPDATE 1/4/2021: The Court postponed the vote until January 25, after TxDOT makes its Environmental Impact Statement presentation.

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The Collin County Commissioners Court is voting on January 4 to begin acquiring land for a freeway proposed by The Texas Department of Transportation.

The freeway would be an "improvement" of US 380 that would transform the road into a six-lane freeway similar to US-75.

U.S. Route 380 is an east–west highway whose easternmost point is in Greenville, Texas. In its entirety, it runs 700 miles, all the way to San Antonio, New Mexico, 150 miles west of Roswell. In North Texas area, 380 is a 32-mile stretch that extends from McKinney through Denton to Decatur.

TxDOT has been holding public meetings in towns along the way; the proposed freeway would impact Denton, Providence Village, Frisco, Little Elm, Aubrey, Krugerville, Celina, Prosper, and Cross Roads.

The agency has narrowed down its options to five conceptual alignments. One follows 380 exactly as it is; four others curve up and down around cities and developments.

On January 21, TxDOT will host an online meeting to inform the public about its Environmental Impact Statement process, which was launched in December 2020.

It will still be more than a year before TxDOT adopts a final route.

But County staff are seeking the Court's approval to begin acquiring land along the proposed bypass, or "Red" route, rather than waiting for TxDOT's official recommendation. Commissioners were concerned that developers might begin building houses on the land, which might exclude the particular corridor from consideration unless the land were acquired first.

TxDOT, Collin County, the City of McKinney, and the Town of Prosper have up until now deferred making a decision until after TxDOT completes the EIS process and provides an official recommendation.

A release by Collin County Judge Chris Hill notes that a decision by the Commissioners Court to begin acquiring property now would "shortcut the EIS process and effectively determine the future path of US 380."

"Conversely, should TxDOT ultimately not recommend this path for the future freeway, Collin County will have used the 2018 transportation bond funds to unnecessarily acquire private property from families and businesses," Hill says.

The public can attend the meeting in person at the Jack Hatchell Administration Building, at 2300 Bloomdale Rd. in McKinney) or online at 1:30 pm.