Project will expand capacity and improve safety on FM 548 as Forney experiences rapid growth.

Granite Construction has secured an $80 million contract with the Texas Department of Transportation to revamp a historic section of Farm to Market Road 548 in Forney, a fast-growing city roughly 25 miles east of Dallas. The project is part of the ongoing effort to modernize Texas’ iconic rural roadway network as it struggles to keep pace with urban expansion.

The initiative will convert the existing asphalt roadway into a more durable concrete surface while expanding capacity and upgrading essential infrastructure, according to a news release from Granite. The state-funded project includes adding travel lanes and modern drainage systems to accommodate increasing traffic volumes.

The scope of work stretches from U.S. 80 to Windmill Farms Boulevard and encompasses more than 200,000 square yards of 10-inch-thick concrete pavement, along with over 40,000 linear feet of new storm drain pipe.

The goal is to alleviate congestion, particularly in the heart of Forney’s downtown commercial district, which has seen a surge in activity and population growth in recent years.

“The makeover and widening will increase traffic capacity to help relieve congestion in rapidly growing Forney, located about a half hour east of Dallas, particularly in its busiest commercial section downtown,” the release stated.

Farm-to-market roads hold a special place in Texas history. Developed primarily during the mid-20th century, these roads were created to connect rural farms and ranches to larger cities and markets. They remain a critical part of the state’s transportation framework, especially in more remote or suburbanizing areas. FM 548, for instance, first opened in 1945 as a modest two-lane roadway serving the region’s agricultural needs.

As Texas Monthly once described, “the farm-to-market road is to Texas what the freeway is to California.” By the 1980s, over half of the state’s 73,000 highway miles were classified as farm-to-market roads — a testament to the network’s reach and relevance.

Funding for these roads dates back to 1949, when Texas established a dedicated financial mechanism through fuel taxes and the Highway Transportation Fund. Today, the network continues to receive both state and federal funding, administered by the Texas Department of Transportation.

However, the explosive population growth Texas has seen over the past few decades has put considerable strain on these once lightly traveled routes. Many farm-to-market roads, including FM 548, were built with little to no grading, often conforming to the natural terrain — a layout that can no longer accommodate the growing traffic loads.

Granite noted that this latest reconstruction will help support both current needs and future development in Kaufman County.

“For that reason, Granite said the project will contribute to the growth and development of Forney and surrounding Kaufman County, supporting the area’s economic expansion,” the release stated.

The company anticipates breaking ground on the project in July 2025, with completion scheduled for March 2027. Once finished, the improved roadway is expected to better handle commercial traffic and support the region’s rapid transformation from a rural area into a suburban hub.

Originally reported by Joe Bousquin in Construction Dive.