Burnet County takes first step in 20-year transportation plan
Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
Burnet County leaders are in the midst of developing a road map to improve and expand the county’s transportation infrastructure. This road map, the Burnet County Transportation Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan and Program, will serve as a guide for county development for the next 20 years.
The Burnet County Commissioners Court hired an engineering firm on Feb. 24, American Structurepoint, to develop the Capital Improvement Plan at a cost of up to $150,000. The firm was chosen from among two applicants for the project, the other being GLS.
“Burnet County is growing, and our roads are the backbone of that growth,” reads a Burnet County media release issued on Thursday, March 26. “To ensure our
infrastructure keeps pace while preserving our unique Hill Country and lakes identity, the Burnet
County Commissioners Court has officially launched the Transportation Infrastructure
Capital Improvement Plan and Program (CIPP).”
While this is the first tangible step in the process, Burnet County has spent several months gathering data to help support the plan.
In September, the county conducted comprehensive traffic counts on all arterial roads. The Commissioners Court then used data collected in the traffic counts to file a formal request with the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to update the regional transportation plan for Burnet County. CAMPO is responsible for coordinating interconnected transportation planning and infrastructure in Central Texas, and this new data could be used to improve Burnet County’s standing in the regional transportation strategy.
Specifically, the Capital Improvement Plan will be used to prioritize projects based on safety, congestion relief, and connectivity. It will also be used to help secure state and federal grants, and to ensure that new growth does not compromise the “rural character and lake-life that we love.”