Miles-long RR 1431 work to last months

Preventative maintenance on a 17-mile stretch of RR 1431 from Industrial Boulevard in Marble Falls to south of Texas 29 in Llano County is causing traffic congestion between Marble Falls and Granite Shoals. The Texas Department of Transportation project is expected to last for several months and cost about $7.5 million.

The four-lane highway has been narrowed to two lanes as crews level the surface in preparation for a final overlay of about 2 inches of asphalt concrete.

“They expect to be able to put the final overlay on the roadway this spring and expect to be done with the project in summer 2024, weather permitting,” TxDOT public information officer Kellen Mohrmann told DailyTrib.com.

Workers will be on site for the majority of the near future.

“TxDOT allows its contractors to work sunrise to sunset to maximize work they can get done and minimize the length of time they are on a roadway section,” Mohrmann said. “When they are in the vicinity of schools, we typically ask them to wait until school has started to reduce impacts on school traffic.”

The project is a routine process to ensure state roads remain in good shape for longer periods.

“TxDOT conducts an inspection of all its roadways on an annual basis,” Mohrmann said. “These inspections look at the quality of the roadway, potential problems such as rutting, cracks, and other signs of distress.”

RR 1431 was pinpointed for improvements due to recent and future growth in the area.

“TxDOT also looks at traffic numbers and growth patterns to highlight roadways in areas seeing a lot of growth and determine if the roadways need additional work in anticipation of higher traffic volumes,” Mohrmann said.

nathan@thepicayune.com