Possibility of Lake Lavon Bridge Divides Residents

A proposed $470 million bridge over Lake Lavon is dividing residents between their lifestyles today and tomorrow's transportation needs.

Stan Kendall said he worries his way of life will change dramatically if a bridge is built across the lake.

“I'm concerned about what it's going to do to the lake," he said. "I don't think we need that bridge."

Kendall said the blue water, the pristine shoreline and the view drew him to move to Lake Lavon 11 years ago.

"There's a lot of recreation out there, a lot of boating going on,” said Kendall.

Collin County is in the midst of a $400,000 study to see if a bridge can be built across the width of Lake Lavon. The bridge would be 9 miles long and six lanes wide from Lucas to Copeville.

“The hope is that in 20, 30 or 40 years -- when people out there are demanding it -- we will have had the foresight enough to find a place for it,” Collin County Commissioner Joe Jaynes said.

The county's growth has been explosive. Despite the recession, it’s remained steady. Jaynes sees a day when the county will boast a population of 2 million people.

Susan Lovendahl supports the bridge, saying that even if the county doesn't have 2 million people, it's growing at a fast clip.

“It's country. We like it that way, but it's going to grow," she said. "It's already growing."

Those who find lake life somewhat isolated -- if scenic -- are also in favor of the bridge.

“It would make a much faster commute to Wylie and the surrounding areas,” Stacy Haumpy said. “Living out where we do on the peninsula, we've got to go across bridges anyway, no matter where we go.”

Collin County commissioners say they are just studying the possibility of building a bridge to prepare for the region's future growth.

Commissioners say nothing is immediate and no decisions have been made. The study could well reveal that it’s not possible to build the kind of bridge currently being studied, they said.

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