Oct. 5--Johnson County Commissioner John Matthews has begun regularly inviting representatives from the Texas Department of Transportation and the North Texas Tollway Authority to make regular reports about the progress of projects vital to this area.

His initiative is welcome but the news has not always been encouraging.

The Texas 121 project, which will be known as the Chisholm Trail Parkway in Johnson County, has been on the drawing boards for more than a decade.

Recent efforts by local officials seemed to jump start the project, and it seemed as though dirt would be turning soon.

But the last couple of reports to the commissioners court have thrown cold water on those hopes.

The importance of the parkway to Cleburne cannot be overstated.

Businesses have located here because they thought the highway would be built, and its presence would enhance their operations.

Other businesses have considered locating here, but the highway's presence is a key factor in their decision to locate here, and without the road, they're just not that into us.

In addition, the highway could be a major factor in reducing the transportation congestion in the area, which is forecast to grow worse as the years go by.

Of course, highway funds are limited, and everyone wants a piece of the pie. And those projects are worthy as well.

But we've seen other projects proposed and completed while we waited. The time for waiting is over.

We appreciate the efforts of our legislators in trying to move the project along, and we ask that they redouble their efforts, applying continual pressure on TxDOT or NTTA or whoever needs to be pushed to bring this about.

It would help if they knew residents understood the value of the parkway and wanted it as badly as city officials and the newspaper.

Write them or call them -- often, as one of our letter writers is fond of saying.

--State Sen. Kip Averitt -- Capitol Office: EXT E1.608. Capitol Phone: 512-463-0122. District Address: River Square Center, 215 Mary, Suite 303, Waco, TX 76701, or 1100 E. Hwy. 377, Suite 103, Granbury, TX 76048. District Phones -- Waco: 254-772-6225, Granbury: 817-573-9622.

--State Rep. Rob Orr -- Capitol Office: EXT E1.410. Capitol Phone: 512-463-0538. District Address: 201 W. Ellison, Suite 201, Burleson, TX 76028. District Phone: 817-295-5158. Fax: 817-295-5319, E-mail: rob.orr@house.state.tx.us.

--Congressman Chet Edwards, D-Waco, Cleburne office: 115 S. Main St., Suite 202, Cleburne, TX 76033. Phone: 817-645-4743. Washington office: Room 2264; Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. Phone: 202-225-6105.

This editorial is the opinion of the Cleburne Times-Review

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