ODESSA, Texas — A multi-million-dollar project to overhaul a crash-prone section of U.S. Route 385 in Odessa is set to break ground this August. The $49 million project will last approximately two years and includes widening Loop 338 and building an overpass at the intersection.
According to Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) details, Loop 338 will be converted from a two-lane undivided highway into a four-lane divided highway, with two main lanes in each direction, inside and outside shoulders, and a grassy median. The new overpass will carry Loop 338 over U.S. 385, separating local and through traffic.
The intersection has been notorious for crashes. Last June, an Odessa man died in a collision with a semi-truck at the site. “For a good two or three years, this was just a really dangerous intersection,” said James Beauchamp, president of the Midland Odessa Transportation Alliance. “This will make people’s commute faster and, frankly, a lot safer by separating traffic, especially truck traffic.”
The Odessa City Council adopted the overpass as the city’s top transportation priority in 2023. After years of planning and prior funding delays, the long-awaited project is finally moving forward.