As pre-construction design and the environmental assessment for the planned improvements to FM 1626 South draw to a close, Hays County Commissioners Court members on Tuesday approved a resolution that will become part of the record of a May 5 TxDOT public hearing on the project. The resolution encourages TxDOT to finalize and approve the environmental documentation needed to begin construction by late 2015.
The proposed project is approximately 3.2 miles in length and would widen the existing two-lane, undivided roadway to a four-lane divided arterial with a center left-turn lane.
TxDOT will hold a public hearing on the environmental assessment and schematic design for the roadway for May 5 at Elm Grove Elementary School, 801 W. FM 1626, Buda. An open house from 5:30-6:30 p.m. will offer attendees an opportunity to review documents and maps and ask questions. The public hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. Information is also available at the Precinct 2 office, 5458 FM 2770, Kyle, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
“Safety and mobility improvements for FM 1626 are a much-needed part of the County’s Regional Transportation Plan and part of the County’s Pass-through Finance Program,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Mark Jones, whose precinct is bisected by FM 1626, said. “The portion of FM 1626 improvements known as the ‘south’ portion runs from FM 967 to FM 2770 and complements the soon-to-be-completed north segment from FM 967 to Brodie Lane. Our resolution will be part of the official record for the public hearing, verifying our approval of the design – which includes sidewalks and enhanced medians at certain critical locations – and encouraging TxDOT to finalize the environmental assessment so that the County can move forward with construction as quickly as possible.”
If all goes as planned, bids will be let for construction this summer and construction will get underway in the fall, Jones said.