Major 2-year construction project to begin on Wycliffe Avenue in Highland Park

HIGHLAND PARK, Texas - A two-year construction project on Wycliffe Avenue in Highland Park is now underway. The project aims to improve drainage and prevent extreme flooding in an area where two people previously died in flash floods.

Wycliffe Avenue Closures

What we know:

Wycliffe Avenue is completely closed at the intersections of Lakeside Drive, St. John's Drive, and Turtle Creek Boulevard. The massive infrastructure project is expected to last two years.

Construction crews placed detour signs, road blockage markers, and heavy equipment in the area Tuesday morning to direct cars around the traffic. 

The work site sits less than a mile from the Fitzhugh Avenue exit of U.S. Highway 75.

Drivers should plan ahead, use alternate routes, and allow for extra travel time.

What we don't know:

While officials confirmed several surrounding streets will also close to traffic periodically throughout the project, the exact dates and times for those rolling closures remain unannounced. Access in those specific surrounding areas will be limited to local residents.

Addressing Extreme Flood Risks

The backstory:

This specific drainage project is taking place in the exact area where flash flooding previously claimed two lives. 

A Southern Methodist University student was killed in a flash flood at the site in 2006, and an SMU police officer was killed in the same area during a 2016 flood.

The widow of the SMU officer filed a wrongful death lawsuit following the 2016 incident.

What's next:

Commuters will need to navigate around the Wycliffe Avenue closures until the project finishes in approximately two years.

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