Nestled off the beaten path in the Hill Country, surrounded by the loud buzzing of the summer cicadas, are a plethora of destination businesses which are losing money by the week.
Typically, the summer season is the busiest for the numerous wineries, breweries, distilleries and restaurants in the rural parts of Hays County. But a road closure is keeping people away, costing some businesses up to a 20 percent loss during this peak season.
Driftwood is a quaint destination portion of Hays County. The drive is scenic, filled with various low water crossings, wildlife encounters and the roaring waters of the Hill Country.
However, one of the most scenic portions of the drive, a low water crossing over Onion Creek on FM 150, is closed, cutting off a major thoroughfare to Driftwood.
“It’s having a big impact on those business owners out there and it’s been over 40 days and counting that the road has been closed,” said Driftwood Historical Conservation Society (DHCS) committee member Casey Cutler. “The May flood had a huge impact on the crossing, so we’re just waiting for the best.”
The DHCS and business owners met with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) last week on the status of the road. Cutler said the conversation with the state agency was positive, but the road desperately needs to open once again.
On the periphery of the road closure sits Vista Brewing, a modern brewery tucked away between the wildflowers and trees of Driftwood.
Vista Brewing, like many of the other businesses, receives customers from across the Austin Metropolitan area. These patrons escape the hustle and bustle of the big city for a scenic drive and good beer. It’s what has made Driftwood a tourism hotspot with the population boom of Travis and Hays counties.
“I have an employee who lives on the other side of the closure, making an eight-minute commute a 45-minute one,” said Vista Brewing owner Karen Killough. “We get calls every week asking if we’re still open … People who live on the other side of the crossing are not going to drive an hour to get here. It doesn’t make for an enjoyable experience for anyone,” Killough said. “It’s been closed for too long, and we hope it’s open soon.”
During the first two weeks the low water crossing was closed, customers reported that GPS indicated the entire road was closed, causing confusion.
“If it opens again at the end of the month, you have to ask why it’s taking eight weeks to open a critical path to Driftwood,” Killough said. “We are all asking for a longterm and short-term solution, because that low water crossing has closed in the past before, just never this long.”
As a destination town, a major appeal to Driftwood is its rural environment. Its economy is agriculture, shifting away from livestock and embracing grapes, perfect for Texas wines.
This has brewed a winning formula for business owners and visitors. The tourism-based economy has thrived in the past decade with the boom of these businesses.
But Cutler said it’s a balancing act to keep Driftwood, Driftwood. The region is one of the last untouched gems of Hays County. The population growth of the corridor cities is largely unnoticed in Driftwood.
“The drive, wineries and everything else is why people come out here,” Cutler said. “Without one of them, we fear to lose that. We want that feeling to be preserved.”
There are talks about building a bridge as a long-term solution to the flooding, but that is controversial too, Cutler said.
The Onion Creek low water crossing is a tourism hotspot. If a bridge is built over the crossing, Cutler fears it could take away from the attractive drive.
“The road has never been closed this long and it’s really hurting, but we need to find a solution so this doesn’t happen again,” Cutler said.
Developing new structures would take away from the aesthetics of the region, which Cutler and the DHCS are trying to protect.
For now, businesses like Vista Brewing continue to push along in the summer heat, hoping more favorable weather conditions will keep the road open during the season.
