Hays County is marking progress on the path to a safer driving experience with the completion of upgrades at a historically dangerous intersection and the start of a new safety improvement project. First, the once-notorious intersection of U.S. Highway 290 and Trautwein Road, just east of Dripping Springs, has finally completed a major construction project designed to reduce the risk to motorists. KXAN reports that this includes adding retaining walls, a traffic signal, improved pedestrian railings, and increased driver visibility due to a lowered road and new dedicated turn lanes.
The project which began back in February after years of anticipation, was a collaborative effort between Hays County and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Before its completion in August, drivers contended with detours and work zones. "As a commissioner, it’s incredibly rewarding to see the completion of the US 290 at Trautwein Road project, a critical improvement for our rapidly growing community," Commissioner Walt Smith was quoted in recognition of these developments. With traffic volumes on U.S. 290 expected to double by 2045, these upgrades are timely interventions in a place where, between 2019 and 2024, 33 crashes have marred the landscape.
Meanwhile, another significant safety initiative is underway in Hays County, targeting the RM 3237 intersection at Rogers Road and Flite Acres Road. Work on this project is set to begin on June 10. The county's announcement outlines plans to widen RM 3237 to accommodate new turn lanes and shoulders, providing improvements that promise to enhance overall road safety. The project, with a budget of $5.1 million in construction funding from TxDOT and the 2016 Road Bond Program, is expected to conclude in the summer of 2025.
"This project is the first of several phases of improvements planned for RM 3237 in an effort to make our roads safer," said Commissioner Lon Shell, with an eye towards continued development and partnership with TxDOT to secure the well-being of his constituents. To make room for the impending construction, westbound lanes of RM 3237 within construction limits are to be closed at Rogers Road and Flite Acres Road, as was said, setting into motion a shift in traffic to two-way operation in the eastbound lane during the interim.
