Why did it take so long to finally finish Kell?
Planning for the original Kell project began back in the 1960s. Then Wichita Falls was growing and there was a need for Kell. It was planned in 5 phases, of which 2 were constructed from 1985-1990. With the population continuing to decline in the last part of the 20th century, funding for major highway projects in Wichita Falls lost out to the larger Texas Metropolitan areas. The Kell project was put on the backburner. With no funding Kell became “the Highway to Nowhere.” Now Wichita Falls is growing again and funding has become available.
