by BRAD ROLLINS
A consultant working for the Commissioners Court thinks three projects in Hays County may have a decent shot of being funded as part of $224 million in state and federal transportation funds expected to be allocated next month.
The county faces fierce competition from other Central Texas cities and counties for the funds, which will be distributed by the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Texas Transportation Commission. Requests for 170 projects across the region total $835 million, nearly four times what is available over the next two to three years.
“There are a lot of shovel-ready projects just waiting for funds to get started. The Commissioners Court feels that the county projects under consideration will benefit areas throughout the county, and is eager to get started as soon as money is available,” said Michael Aulick, a former CAMPO executive director working for Hays County.
Aulick said three of 30 projects submitted by Hays County for consideration scored relatively high in the agency’s staff scoring criteria. These include the addition of entrance and exit ramps and turnarounds to access roads along Interstate 35 between Main Street in Buda and Kyle Crossing in Kyle. The total cost of the project is expect to be $7.5 million.
Two other projects in Hays County that are faring well in the process so far, Aulick said, are the addition of turn lanes, medians and shoulders to Hunter Road between Centerpoint Road and Posey Road in San Marcos ($3.5 million) and improvements to the intersection of Ranch Road 12 and Old Kyle Road in downtown Wimberley ($440,000).
The CAMPO board is expected to allocate $132.4 million it has in state funds on Oct 10. The transportation commission is scheduled to consider allocating $91.3 million on Oct. 29.
Potential road projects in area
Hays County is seeking state and federal funds for a number of Kyle- and Buda-area road projects:
• Adding exit and entrance ramps and turnarounds on Interstate 35 in Buda and Kyle.
• Adding center and right turn lanes on Texas 21 at FM 150 East ($246,000) and Cotton Gin Road ($246,000).
• Widening Dacy Lane between Bebee Road and Windy Hill Road ($1.3 million).
• Constructing a new bridge on Lakewood Drive and improving its intersection with FM 1626 ($2.6 million).
• Building sidewalks on FM 150 East between Heidenreich Lane and Texas 21 ($89,000) and on Bunton Creek Road between Interstate 35 and Goforth Road ($76,000).
• Adding shoulders to FM 150 West between RM 3237 and RM 2770.
• Adding shoulders and turn lanes to FM 967 between Onion Creek and FM 1626.
