ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvəntˌiːn, tˌiːˈɛks dˌiːˌoʊtˈiː bɪɡˈæn stˈʌdiɪŋ ðə pˌɑːsəbˈɪlᵻɾi ʌv ɹᵻɹˈaʊɾɪŋ ænd ɛkspˈændɪŋ ˌɛfˈɛm nˈaɪnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti θɹˈiː tə bˈaɪpæs dˈaʊntaʊn mˈænɚ ænd ᵻlˈɪmᵻnˌeɪt ɪts kəŋkˈɜːɹənsi wɪð jˌuːˈɛs tˈuːhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti.
In 2017, TxDOT began studying the possibility of rerouting and expanding FM 973 to bypass downtown Manor and eliminate its concurrency with US 290.