TxDOT

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.

From Staff Reports

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is warning New Year's Eve revelers to stay sober and following traffic laws or face starting the new year with jail time and fines.

DPS troopers will be out in force on Texas 71, Texas 29, U.S. 281 and FM 1431 throughout the Highland Lakes area Dec. 31 and Jan 1.

The agency is targeting drunk drivers, speeders, seat belt violators and other dangerous drivers.

"The holidays are a wonderful time of year, and it's up to each and every Texan to be responsible behind the wheel so that everyone makes it home safely to their family during the holidays," said DPS Director Steven McCraw. "Along with other law enforcement partners across the state, DPS will be out in force to identify and remove dangerous drivers from Texas roadways this holiday season."

From Staff Reports

Due to motorist complaints, Texas Department of Transportation halted contractor work Nov. 5 on sidewalk improvements from the north end of the U.S. 281 Bridge to Broadway Avenue in Marble Falls.

The work began on Friday, Nov. 2 but was halted that day due to several issues including a vehicle rollover near the south city limits on U.S. 281, traffic congestion possibly connected to weekend travel, a music festival and opening weekend of the rifle season.

As crews started work again in the right-of-way along businesses just north of the bridge, one of the bridge lanes was reduced to a single lane causing backed up traffic as far as the south side of the bridge. TXDOT honored another city request to suspend the construction.

The city of Marble Falls has requested TXDOT consider dispatching night-time crews to do the right-of-way construction work to avoid day-time traffic congestion.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

A project to reconstruct the intersection of US 281 and Ranch to Market Road 1431 has been added to the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) for 2019-2022, CAMPO officials said this week.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Ask anywhere in the state of Texas where the next road project needs to be and drivers will tell you it needs to be on the road they travel.

Regular travelers on Ranch to Market Road 1431 should be pleased to learn one of their “most needed” projects is moving to the front of the line—slow moving traffic turnouts.

Check the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Project Tracker and you now will find them scheduled between Lago Vista and Marble Falls as Tier 2 Projects.

The safety measure as been for more than seven years a campaign of Al Schwerman of Lago Vista, a resident who travels frequently between Lago Vista and Marble Falls.

“People are always asking me about it because they know I've been interested, so I was pleased when I called TxDOT recently and they said it was on track for July 2019 and maybe sooner,” said Schwerman.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

The Horseshoe Bay City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 16, approved a final funding agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) regarding improvements to Ranch to Market Road 2147 and bids could b e let as soon as next spring.

The city will contribute $120,000 in matching funds toward the $2 million improvement project to widen the road and include turn lanes from Big Spur to Bay West Boulevard.

Last year, Mayor Steve Jordan announced the city and received notification of a committment from TxDOT to widen the thoroughfare through the heart of Horseshoe Bay to Llano County.

Former Texas House Speaker and current Texas Rep. Tom Craddick of Midland owns a home in Blue Lake Estates and reportedly was instrumental in convincing TxDOT to add the project to the priorities list.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

Facing a hostile, but polite, audience that nearly filled the 500-capacity sanctuary at Kingsland’s First Baptist Church Tuesday evening, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) officials agreed to reconsider a proposal to restripe Ranch-to-Market Road 1431 in Llano County.

The project would have made the four-lane highway into a two-lane highway with intermittent passing and turning lanes, a change TxDOT engineers said would improve the safety of the road.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

A revolution may be brewing in Llano County over what some residents perceive as an unneeded and unwanted change to Ranch to Market Road 1431 and an attitude bordering on contempt for local officials by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

At issue is a plan to change the ranch road from four lanes to what is known as a “super two” highway – one lane in each direction with intermittent turn lanes and passing lanes where engineers think they’re needed. The approximately 30 miles of Texas 71 between US 281 south of Marble Falls to Texas 16 in Llano is an example of that type of highway.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Two important transportation meetings went on in Burnet County this week.

A sit-down of Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Burnet County Commissioners Court was held in an open workshop Tuesday, March 28, at the Burnet courthouse and a Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) open house on long-range plans was held Wednesday, March 29.

Commissioners went line by line through 54 projects, only 24 of which are on the 2017 priority list for TxDOT, but all important to one or morel precincts. CAMPO representatives came to convey feedback on possible amendments to the CAMPO 2040 and 2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

Commissioners workshop

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

A construction project to convert the northern part of US 281 from the Lampasas County line to the Burnet city limits to a four-lane undivided highway into a “Super 2” three-lane highway has been let this month, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) area engineer Cathy Kratz P.E. said at Tuesday's Burnet County Commissioner Court meeting.

Kratz and other engineers from TxDOT appeared before commissioners to talk about plans to put convert portions of US 281 and US 183 to “Super 2” roadways, due to a high number of accidents which have occurred where vehicles have left the roadway.