The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) assures drivers it's on track to complete Cooper Street improvements in Arlington by this summer.

Crews are working to finish the raised curb medians between Interstate 20 and Mitchell Street near the University of Texas at Arlington by the end of spring, said Val Lopez, TxDOT's Fort Worth District Public Information Officer.

The new medians will make Cooper Street, one of Arlington's busiest thoroughfares, safer for drivers.

"The raised curb medians make turning movements more predictable. More predicable movements are safer movements," Lopez said. "We've had studies that show it reduces those most severe head-on collisions by about 40 percent."

As part of the multimillion dollar project, TxDOT also removed the top layer of aging asphalt to make repairs to the concrete roadway surface below. The milled away sections of road are expected to receive a new asphalt overlay by this summer, after the median work from Arkansas and Mitchell Street is complete, Lopez said.

"We waited to the end so we can do the overlay all at the same time. It will provide an even, consistent driving surface that is better than if we had done it piece-meal as we were doing the project," Lopez said.

Also, TxDOT appreciates the patience of drivers, and encourages attention to all warning signs within the construction work zone while crews work diligently to complete this work as quickly and as safely as possible.

Though the months of construction may have been frustrating for some, Lopez said he believes drivers will appreciate the smoother roadway and the enhanced safety that the medians provide. TxDOT worked with the City of Arlington and businesses along Cooper Street to map out where cuts would be placed in the raised medians so drivers could make turns into shops, offices, restaurants and other destinations, Lopez said.

"It's a change. Anytime you have changed traffic patterns it takes a while for motorists to get used to them. But that said, I think they will appreciate the order and safety these raised curb medians will provide instead of the random turning movements," he said.