RM 2871 Bridge Project Secures Federal Funding.

For drivers, especially Benbrook residents, who have spent years waiting for improvements along RM 2871, there’s some encouraging news. A long-discussed bridge project over the railroad tracks and Aledo Road is one step closer to becoming a reality.

Tarrant County announced October 30 that the RM 2871/Chapin School Road grade separation project has been selected for up to $46 million in federal transportation funding, covering final design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction.

The project would build an overpass carrying RM 2871 over Aledo Road and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in southwest Fort Worth, eliminating the need for drivers to cross the tracks at ground level.

It’s one of two projects selected for what county officials describe as Tarrant County’s first-ever direct federal transportation grants. The other is a proposed railroad crossing improvement along Blue Mound Road in northwest Tarrant County, selected for up to $5.6 million in funding for project development and final design.

“These historic grants are a major win for the families, businesses, and first responders of Tarrant County,” said Precinct 4 Commissioner Manny Ramirez, who credited partnerships with TxDOT, Fort Worth, Haslet, and other agencies.

For drivers familiar with the traffic and railroad crossing along RM 2871, the announcement is welcome progress. However, funding selection doesn’t mean construction will begin immediately. Final design, property acquisition, and coordination with transportation agencies and railroads still lie ahead.

No construction start date or completion timeline was announced.

Still, after years of discussion, the project appears to have taken an important step forward. Now comes the question many area drivers are likely asking: How soon can work begin?

For additional information, contact Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez’s office at 817-238-4400 or media contact Tracey Knight at TMKnight@tarrantcountytx.gov.