New Braunfels could see a major overhaul of State Highway 46 under an early Texas Department of Transportation proposal to rebuild about 11 miles of the corridor. The project is estimated to cost $1.4 billion and would elevate main lanes, add overpasses, and build direct flyovers to I-35. The plan remains preliminary and unfunded. While commuters hope for fewer traffic lights and smoother travel, property owners worry about potential impacts to yards, driveways, and access.
Scope And The Price Tag
The concept stretches along SH 46 from I-35 east to I-10, described in local coverage as an 11-mile corridor with a regional planning footprint meant to match fast growth in population and housing along the route. The estimated $1.4 billion cost figure comes from a 2024 presentation to local economic leaders. According to Community Impact, that stretch appears in Alamo Area MPO planning documents as part of a broader effort to get ahead of surging development in the area.
What TxDOT Is Proposing
In TxDOT’s early schematic, the mainlanes of SH 46 would be elevated over the existing roadway, turning what is now a series of signalized intersections into a higher-speed, controlled-access corridor. The plan calls for two direct flyover ramps between SH 46 and I-35 and a run of new overpasses at key crossings in Comal County, including Elliot Knox Boulevard, I-35, FM 1101 and Alves Lane. In Guadalupe County, the corridor could shift to a four-lane controlled-access highway with one-way frontage roads and multiple overpasses, according to TxDOT.
Who Pays And Where Funding Stands
A 2024 presentation cited in local coverage suggested county governments could be on the hook for big pieces of the tab: roughly $550 million from Comal County and about $850 million from Guadalupe County, per MySA. At the same time, that reporting and TxDOT project materials both underline that the effort is still in the planning phase. Right-of-way acquisition and construction are not currently funded, and there is no letting date yet, which means any dirt turning is still years off.
What This Means For Property Owners
TxDOT and local officials have already been working the phones and conference rooms with people who live and do business along SH 46. Community Impact reported that the agency has held more than 100 meetings with potentially affected landowners and has been clear that additional right-of-way will be needed. That could mean buying pieces of property and, in some cases, displacing existing structures. TxDOT says individual meetings and later public hearings will help shape the final alignment, access points and mitigation steps, which is bureaucratic speak for how close the new roadway may end up to someone’s front door.
What Comes Next
For now, TxDOT is focused on early homework: preparing an initial schematic design, running environmental studies and putting together an Interstate Access Justification Report as the SH 46 concept moves through preliminary development. The agency’s project page lists contact information, a signup for email updates and notes that final design, right-of-way acquisition and construction will only proceed after environmental clearance and funding are in place. A formal public hearing is anticipated in 2027, per reporting. Until then, residents will see more maps and meeting notices than bulldozers, and anyone wanting to stay in the loop can check the TxDOT project page for study contacts and updates.
