Two years before the West explosion, residents and business owners were dreading the possible impact of the four-year-long I-35 reconstruction project that was just getting underway. The city's two-mile-long west side completely borders the interstate, the lifeblood for this small town. West is well known for its Czech heritage, and especially, its famous homemade kolaches.
Visitors have long been attracted to this close-knit community of 2,800 people. Many of the residents can trace their family's history back to their grandparents' arrival in the late 1800s. Formed by the railroad, West quickly became the hub of activity for this part of Central Texas. Many of the Czech immigrants came to West to purchase and farm the land. By 1890, about 800 people lived here, and Czech businesses were thriving.
How would that tight-knit community be affected by four years of disruption to traffic patterns, access changes, and the constant presence of heavy equipment and work crews? "Back in 2011, we really did not know what to expect," Mayor Tommy Muska remembers. "How was this going to impact our downtown economy?"
"I've been here long enough to remember the original interstate being built alongside West," says Judge David Pareya, a justice of the peace who also owns a couple of businesses in town. He also acts as the city's Chamber of Commerce president. "As a boy I remember being amazed at the monster of a highway that was coming."
That new monster interstate turned out to be good for West. And now, two years after completion, the same can be said for the reconstruction project.
"Our businesses did not experience a lag because of the construction, and if anything, things are better now," Pareya says.
"Businesses are thriving today," Mayor Muska agrees. "And more businesses are planning on coming here. The interstate improvements have made our town more inviting to visitors."
In part, the I-35 project meant a new overpass at FM 2114, the city's front door. A TxDOT graphic artist spent countless hours developing Czech-themed murals that now adorn the walls of the overpass.
"If you have an inviting front door, people want to come in. We have a very neat, orderly, clean underpass along with the murals depicting our heritage. We couldn't be more pleased," Muska says.
Of course, the I-35 project construction impact took a back seat to the impact of the fertilizer plant explosion that nearly destroyed West five years ago, killing 15 people. Although the location of the blast was not along the highway, it happened right in the middle of the construction process, and it affected the focus of the crews and the work for some time.
"When the explosion happened, the I-35 contractor sprang into action," Pareya explains. "The contractor made sure road blocks were set up and traffic was diverted. I can go on and on about how much help was provided while everything was extremely hectic."
"TxDOT did everything humanly possible to help us during the explosion and during the reconstruction phase," Muska says.
And the completed work continues to yield positive results for the community and its citizens.
Jake Smith
I-35 Public Information Officer
254-867-2705
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