Hazards loom around the corner on Burnet County roads
Emily Hilley-Sierzchula/The Highlander
Vehicles zoom past places where at least three people have died along a dangerous, curvy section of FM 1431, east of the Marble Falls city limits sign. Family members of three people memorialized their loved ones with homemade crosses and flowers, which also serve as a reminder to passing motorists to use caution on that stretch of asphalt.
By Alexandria Randolph
In the name of safety, motorists traveling over some of Burnet County's more dangerous stretches of roadway may soon see some improvements, thanks to the passage of Proposition 1 in November.
Burnet County Commissioners will soon discuss the direct impacts that added funding will have on county road projects.
Kelli Reyna, spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) said the highway department is currently involved with construction of a left-turn lane on RM 2147 through Cottonwood shores to improve safety and “help prevent rear-end and right-angle-turning collisions in this area.”
“Our mission at TxDOT is to ensure our roads are as safe as possible and we constantly work to make improvements to roadways when crashes do occur,” Reyna said.
The department is also looking into the possibility of slow vehicle turnout lanes on RR 1431 between Lago Vista and the Burnet County line, a section of asphalt that has a reputation for being dangerous and is currently dotted with the tell-tale sign of past fatalities – decorative, name-bearing crosses and flowers placed by family members of those lost in auto accidents in recent years.
According to TxDOT database statistics, Burnet County experienced a total of seven fatal crashes yielding eight casualties in 2013 (two of which occurred on national and state highways, while another two happened on farm to market roads, and three were on county roads.)
For the full story, see Tuesday's Highlander.
