Weekend events tackle traffic issues, prepare for influx to Burnet County

CONNIE SWINNEY • PICAYUNE STAFF

BURNET — Motorists can expect delays and should exercise more caution April 25 as several events, including an air show and a triathlon, get underway in Burnet and Marble Falls, officials say.

For the second year in a row in Burnet, the Bluebonnet Airshow and the Lake Area Rods and Classic Car Show will not share a weekend with the Bluebonnet Festival to ease safety concerns and the strain on city services.

Read more on the Bluebonnet Airshow

Read more on the Lake Area Rods and Classics Car Show

“When it was on the same weekend, what we saw was that the hotels were booked up, the restaurants were hammered, traffic was a major issue through town, and the bigger concern was the impact it was having on emergency services,” Burnet City Manager David Vaughn said. “For myself, it was difficult to take full advantage of the Bluebonnet Festival and enjoy the air show at the same time on the same weekend, and now we’re able as a family to take full advantage of both of those.”

The change also gives Burnet a double economic shot in the arm.

“I think we see a much better economic boon to the community by getting the benefit of it on two different weekends,” Vaughn said. “Most importantly, we’re able to provide adequate emergency services during those time periods.”

Despite the events being on seperate weekends, police are still bracing for increased traffic and prepare for potential issues.

“We’re going to have a lot of pedestrians walking and a lot of vehicles on the main highway,” Burnet Police Chief Paul Nelson said. “We’ll have pretty much all hands on deck.”

“We have the air show all day Saturday at 281 south at the airport,” Nelson added. “We’ll have the car show across the street from that, and then Saturday night on the square, we have Relay for Life. The square will be closed down completely.”

Read more on the Burnet County Relay for Life

Vaughn said the economic benefit outweighs the challenge of handling the influx of thousands of people.

“The biggest thing is, for the vendors and the business owners, being able to have two different weekends of full hotels and restaurants being packed. It’s a huge boon for those restaurants and business owners,” he said. “(The air show) is a fantastic show. It brings people in from the Austin area, and we pull an amazing number of people from the Austin area and from San Antonio and Dallas.”

In Marble Falls, coordinators of the HITS Triathlon have sorted through traffic woes from the past as well and expect to welcome athletes, families and volunteers on Saturday and Sunday.

Read more on the HITS Triathlon

The triathlon features a swimming leg in Lake Marble Falls within the city limits, a bike ride on U.S. 281 south of the city and a run with stations in Round Mountain, 12 miles farther south of the city.

Keith Conrad, a HITS Triathlon participant and past president of the Marble Falls/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce, will compete this year along with his 14-year-old daughter, Olivia.

“It brings anywhere from 600 to 1,000 athletes into Marble Falls. They’re staying the night so they can be rested for the early morning running. They have discretionary income,” he said. “It gets more and more recognition every year. It has grown, and the sport continues to grow.”

In the past, U.S. 281 bridge construction, a closed lane and race routes on that structure exacerbated traffic delays and disrupted the event.

“It was really an issue of timing. We had some very large oversized loads that were coming through town at the same time that the event was taking place,” he said. “They had to turn those loads around, which completely shut down the highway. That was the main issue for the traffic.”

As a result, organizers altered the route and directed much of the race outside the city limits, which appears to have alleviated traffic issues.

“I like their setup now. We ride out of town, and all the transitions take place out of town,” Conrad said. “They swim at the lake and immediately head out. They expect for everyone to be out of town (on their bikes) by around 10 (a.m. Saturday and Sunday.)”

connie@thepicayune.com