The following is a list of potential projects that have been submitted to TxDOT for consideration. All of these projects are aimed at improving the safety of our roads and highways in Precinct 2. A brief description of each project is followed by updated comments from Andres Gonzalez, TxDOT Area Engineer. His updates as well as my own are based on our latest meeting which took place on March 14th, 2024.
Lower Turtle Creek Road and new Comanche Trace Entrance, Evaluation for Traffic Light Installation and/or Turn Lane
Comanche Trace is in the process of installing an entrance / exit onto Lower Turtle Creek Road (FR 2771) in a location that has local residents concerned from a safety standpoint. The new entrance / exit is located just adjacent to a sharp turn in the FR 2771 where visibility is limited and stopping distances are questionable as the speed limit on this road is 55 mph. TX-DOT is requested to evaluate the safety of this new intersection and determine if a traffic light or turn lane is required or whether the speed limit should be lowered on Lower Turtle Creek Road.
TxDOT: Preliminary engineering evaluation/traffic impact analysis concluded sight distance is acceptable from both approaches, and the % distribution from vehicles exiting, as compared to the North entrance/exit on SH 173 is low. Will verify with traffic engineer.
Traffic Light Installation at James Avery Plant Entrance, SH 27
James Avery has a large manufacturing plant at 5235 TX-27. They are having difficulty during their shift changes in terms of excessive delays for employees trying to exit the facility onto SH 27, despite having three lanes for exiting traffic. The speed limit along SH 27 in this location is 65 mph adding to the hazard associated with heavy traffic attempting to exit and enter during shift changes. In recognition of the safety hazard, Kerrville police often send a patrol car and officer to assist in traffic control during shift change. A traffic light installed at the entrance / exit to the James Avery Plant would greatly improve public safety at this plant entrance and enable timely ingress and egress for the James Avery employees. The traffic light should be timed to correspond to the James Avery shift changes and merely be flashing caution light during all other periods. James Avery has contacted TxDOT regarding a traffic light installation. I strongly encourage TxDOT to install a traffic light to protect the safety of all persons traveling on SH 27 in this area.
TxDOT: After investigation, the plan for traffic light installation has already been agreed to with James Avery. The business was to install it via a donation agreement to TxDOT. At this time, we have not received submittal from James Avery.
RM 480 Speed Limit heading West from Elm Pass Intersection
We recently had a roll-over accident due to a vehicle going too fast on RM 480 heading into town. As you head east into Center Point, the speed limit along RM 480 just west of Elm Pass quickly drops from 70 mph to 55 mph to 50 mph and then 40 mph just before Elm Pass. There have been frequent accidents in the vicinity of this intersection. I received a request from one of the residents who lives on RM 480 in this area to review the speed limits and, if possible, start the slow down further out so that traffic has reduced speed well before the sharp turn just after the Elm Pass intersection. I agree that this would improve the safety for folks traveling on this highway.
TxDOT: Speed change from Elm Pass to West of the Cemetery has been submitted to commission in Austin for approval. The speed reduction is very likely to happen in the near future.
Wood Ridge Drive Turn Lane SH 173
Mr. Mark Kimmel, who lives on Wood Ridge Drive, recently had a near miss as he was waiting in the turn lane to pull into Wood Ridge Drive (he was heading south on SH 173). At the same time, a south bound vehicle was slowing down to turn right into the storage facility across from Wood Ridge Dr. and a semi-truck that had sped up to pass a slower moving vehicle also traveling south where two southbound lanes on SH 173 merge together at the top of the hill (and would not have had visibility of a vehicle in the turn lane near Wood Ridge). The semi suddenly had to slam on his breaks and come to a skidding halt to avoid hitting Mr. Kimmel. Mr. Kimmel said this happens all too frequently. The problem is that the southbound 173 traffic merges too close to the hill top, the end of the right hand lane is not clearly marked and there are insufficient warning signs. His request is that the lanes should merge further back on 173 where the highway is straighter and well before the top of the hill and that the road needs better markings and better warning signage for the merger. I agree. I also ask you to look at the northbound section of SH 173 in this same area where the two lanes merge into one. There was a recent accident in this location as two cars failed to properly merge (one yielding to the other) and collided. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries. This section of 173 needs to have better markings and warning signage as well. Unfortunately, the real problem is that drivers often speed up to pass a slower vehicle right before the two lanes merge to one. Can’t fix this, but having better advance lane ending markings and signage would be a reasonable low cost approach to help save lives.
TxDOT to meet with Mr. Kimmel next week to further assess the area.
SH 480 Speed Reduction from SH 27 to China Street
Business owners in Center Point have asked that the speed limit be reduced from 40 mph to 30 mph all the way from SH 27 to China St where the speed limit is already 30 mph. It’s become a serious safety concern with people driving too fast over the bridge and up the hill and not having good vision of the cars pulling out from Skyline Drive. There are now a lot of cars parked in front of Zanzenberg Tavern and lots of pedestrians in the area with all of the new businesses that have opened. TxDOT is requested to make this speed limit change. Please advise if a Commissioners Court order is required.
TxDOT: There was a thorough engineering speed study conducted in the area. The study concluded that this area does not qualify for a speed reduction. Please contact Andres Gonzalez with TxDOT if more information is desired.
SH 173 Left Turn Lane onto Eagle Ridge Road
The Twin Creeks Subdivision development is underway off Eagle Ridge Road that will add 98 new homes, which will result in substantial additional vehicular traffic on Eagle Ridge Road and on SH 173. Safety concerns have been raised regarding the intersection of Eagle Ridge Road and SH 173, particularly for traffic heading north on 173 trying to make a left hand turn from 173 onto Eagle Ridge Road. TxDOT is requested to study this situation and determine the best course of action (can the available lanes be repainted or can the road be widened to provide a left turn lane?).
TxDOT: Previous meeting update: Per our last meeting with the developer, the agreement was that the developer would provide $300K to the County intended for intersection improvements at SH 173/Eagle Ridge Road, and the County would add an additional $75K, ultimately executing an AFA agreement for improving the intersection. TxDOT will receive a total of $375K, and TxDOT would provide the rest of the dollar amount needed to build a left turn lane and flashing beacon. I’ve talked to my admin and we will shoot for this year’s budget to get started with planning stage. Waiting for confirmation to get started.
TxDOT: Update 3.13.24: Commissioner Paces has updated TxDOT. Currently, there is no plans for providing funds to TxDOT as previously agreed.
Commissioner Paces: Kerr County did not approve developer’s plat application due to various deficiencies. Developer then sued the County and lost. They appealed then withdrew their appeal and transferred the property to an affiliate, then deeded lots, all of which are larger than 20 acres circumventing the need to submit a plat application for approval (per HB 3697). With fewer than half the lots, traffic will be substantially reduced. Tetra Tech is conducting a safety study and master development plan for Eagle Ridge Road to determine what improvements need to be made and at what stage of development they need to be made.
Crossing Street Bridge
TxDOT has received the green light to start the design on Crossing St Bridge to resemble the rendering shared in email dated 3/7/2023 from Andres Gonzales, TxDOT Engineer. Kerr County approved this project via Commissioners Court Order 38076 on May 11, 2020. Please proceed.
TxDOT: Currently working through an Environmental clearance assessment (Waters of the US to determine Wetland limits and Mussel Survey). After the assessments are complete, TxDOT to meet with County to go over the required mitigation for the environmental assessment.
Verde Park Blvd intersection with RM 480
Verde Park Blvd, near the intersection with RM 480, is only wide enough for one vehicle, causing any traffic wanting to turn onto Verde Park when a car is exiting to either wait or drive into the ditch. The portion of Verde Park Blvd needing work is in the TxDOT right-of-way. The County will match up to the portion TxDOT widens and taper it back to the County’s portion of the road. TxDOT is requested to widen the Verde Park Blvd road within their right-of-way.
Commissioner Paces: I am pleased to say that TxDOT has completed the widening of Verde Park Blvd within their right-of-way. This is a great improvement and goes a long way to improving the safety of this intersection. Many thanks to TxDOT for addressing this concern!
Barrier on Old SH 16 off Friar Tuck Way E to Prevent Illegal Dumping
Various individuals have been illegally dumping trash at the end of what was the old SH 16, which is now on private property, although the ownership of this specific piece is not entirely clear. TxDOT has been asked to place a barrier of some sort blocking off access to the old SH 16 where it intersects with Friar Tuck Way E. This portion of the road is within the TxDOT right-of-way to the new SH 16. Perhaps the placement of several concrete highway barriers, or several steel posts / bollards, or posts and cables could be installed to solve the illegal access problem. Please provide a solution.
TxDOT: I’ve looked at this location. In order to block out that abandoned road, we’d have to encroach on private ROW. We would not be able to do that without permission from the owner. At this time, TxDOT is not going to take action. However, the County may do so if desired.
SH 16 Left Turn Lane onto Roadrunner Lane
TxDOT has been requested to install a protected left turn lane on SH 16 for safe access to Roadrunner Lane. Vehicles traveling along SH 16 towards Kerrville can only be seen as they top a nearby hill and the speed limit on this section of SH 16 is 60 mph. As vehicles approach Roadrunner Lane to make a left turn onto the road, other vehicles following behind at high speed all too frequently attempt to go around the stationary turning vehicle using the very rough shoulder, a dangerous practice that happens all too often. This is a safety priority.
TxDOT: This area is currently being assessed. More info to come at a later time.
SH 27 Right turn lane into MM Main Entrance, just past Sutherland Lane E ?
Martin Marietta (MM), one of the large aggregate producer companies located along SH 27, run numerous semi-trucks up and down SH 27. Most of their traffic heads north, but when the semis return for another load, they turn into their main gate, which is just past Sutherland Lane E where there is no right turn lane and there is only one lane available to south bound traffic at this point. As a result, there have been a number of accidents (mostly smaller cars or trucks rear ending the MM semis who are slowing down or coming to a quick full stop prior to turning right into the MM entrance on SH 27. There is a right turn lane prior to Sutherland Lane E, however most of the big semis proceed past Sutherland Ln and enter MM via the main plant entrance (part of a perceived “easy” loading loop with exit onto Sutherland Lane?). Commissioner Paces has discussed this issue with MM’s area manager and asked them to have all trucks use their Sutherland entrance for both ingress and egress. The need for a right turn lane into MM’s main entrance is on hold. This item is shown only for possible future action.
Commissioner Paces: MM so far are not willing to alter the ingress route of their trucks.