Traffic-delaying TX-71 work nears end
The road work on Texas 71 outside of Horseshoe Bay could come to an end soon. The repaving of the highway has reduced it to one lane during the first half of the day, causing significant traffic delays. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
The stretch of Texas 71 outside of Horseshoe Bay has been reduced to one lane in the morning for weeks due to paving work along the rural highway. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, that work should be wrapping up in July.
“We anticipate the work will complete July 2024,” reads a written TxDOT statement to DailyTrib.com in response to questions about the work. “This is regular preventative maintenance to repair and repave the roadway.”
The current repaving project extends along the highway from the intersection of RM 2233 in the west to the Burnet County line in the east.
Repaving began on May 20, and since then, portions of Texas 71 have been squeezed into one lane while crews carried out their business in the first half of the day, often causing 10- to 20-minute delays.
According to TxDOT, this portion of Texas 71 met certain traffic volume benchmarks that required using a hot mix overlay rather than a simple seal coat. Hot mix is more durable and will extend road life, while seal coats can be used on lower-traffic roads.
The TxDOT project tracker shows the job has currently used 44.44 percent of its allotted time and 11.17 percent of its $4.46 million budget.