BEAUMONT — Traffic around the mall this year might not be as bad now that a new stretch of road has opened.
The Northwest Parkway opened this week and drivers in the area can now drive the freshly paved lanes from the Parkdale Mall to Major Drive.
The road connects the mall to Major Drive crossing Old Dowlen Road and hitting Major Drive between Folsom Road and the LNVA Canal.
The new parkway is expected to reduce traffic on Dowlen Road as well as open up property that developers are very interested in according to City of Beaumont officials.
The new road was approved by the Beaumont City Council in October 2016 and initially expected to cost $12.1 million according to 12News file stories.
It was to be funded by the city’s airport, oil and gas revenues.