Texas Department of Transportation

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

The old adage – “Everything is bigger in Texas” – lives up to its phrasing as far as motorists are concerned who attempt to navigate frequent loads of monster wind turbine blades blowing through town in the past few weeks.

In Marble Falls, the 240-foot long blades have made at least half a dozen trips in the month of May around the corner of RR 2147 onto U.S. 281, temporarily halting traffic as trailers negotiate the intersection. …

UPDATE: In an email statement Nov. 6, a Llano County Sheriff's Office investigator attributed the damage of the monument to a vehicle traveling eastbound on Texas 71 which left the roadway and crashed into marker and through the adjacent fence.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

The Texas Historic Commission (THC) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will team up to repair a damaged historic monument which commemorates a pivotal battle in the region's settlement by western pioneers, officials announced Nov. 1.

Connie Swinney/The Highlander

Vandals have knocked down the Packsaddle Mountain Fight historical monument, seen here on Friday, Oct. 18, just off Texas 71 adjacent to CR 309 in Llano County. The 1936 Texas Centennial marker commemorates the last battle between area settlers and Indians in the region on Packsaddle Mountain in 1873. Over the years, criminals have removed the bronze center star wreath in 2015 and spray-painted a racist message on the marker in 2017 which had to be restored by a contractor for the Texas Historical Commission.

Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

To keep pace with growth and safety needs, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will require more rigorous assessment of how commercial and private development traffic patterns will impact the roadways.

Within the last decade more than half a dozen aggregate mining-related businesses have developed along the Texas 71 corridor in Burnet County. Along with commercial ventures, a number of private residential developments are carving out their places in amongst mining locations.

Special to The Highlander

Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children, and TxDOT is issuing a call to action to parents and caregivers to ensure they are using and installing child car seats correctly.

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

One of the most irregular intersections in Burnet County could soon see upgrades, including a new right turn lane and signal improvements, after the Texas Transportation Commission approved a 10-year state transportation plan last week.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

A recent two-vehicle crash on U.S. 281 sparked reaction from commuters concerned about the status of a blinking light at the intersection of the highway and Resource Parkway.

The incident happened around 2:15 p.m. Aug. 13 in the intersection of the four-lane highway. The location on the east side of the roadway is the entryway/exit to the Marble Falls Business and Technology Park. Pedernales Electric Cooperative is located on the westside of the highway.

From staff reports

As crews poured the final concrete slab section May 15, officials announced the new Kingsland RM 2900 Bridge will meet a deadline for completion to accommodate an upcoming public grand opening ceremony for the structure, officials said.

By Nathan Hendrix
Staff Writer

When the RM 2900 Bridge in Kingsland washed away on Oct. 16, 2018, teachers at the Marble Falls STEAM Academy found inspiration for a real-world assignment that hit close to home.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Marble Falls business owners along a stretch of U.S. 281 north could lose state right-of-way frontage including parking lot space, as the Texas Department of Transportation takes steps for highway construction projects for safety and to accommodate pedestrian traffic.