U.S. 281 resurfacing project underway, highway expansion possible
A portion of the roadway that has been resurfaced, located near the intersection of U.S. 281 and FM 1855 just north of Marble Falls. Staff photo by Caden Senn
A roughly 3.5-mile stretch of roadway between Burnet and Marble Falls has seen significant resurfacing work completed this week at the hands of the Texas Department of Transportation. A potential roadway expansion project could follow.
The road work, covering five lanes of traffic along U.S. 281 between Park Road 4 and FM 1855, began May 18.
Noticeable lengths of resurfaced roads began cropping up the week of Monday, June 15, beginning at FM 1855 and extending roughly one mile north near the Lhoist quarry entrance. As of Friday, several heavy-duty vehicles and pieces of machinery to tackle the job were staged at the southwest corner of the U.S. 281-FM 1855 intersection.
Potentially more work to come
During a February 10 Burnet County Commissioner’s Court meeting, commissioners submitted a letter of support to TxDOT related to a potential lane expansion project along the same stretch of roadway currently being repaved.
According to the letter, the expansion would turn the four-lane segments of the roadway into a five-lane segment with a two-way left turn lane and 10-foot shoulders.
“On behalf of Burnet County, we express our strong support for the proposed roadway improvements along US 281 from RM 1855 to PR 4,” reads the letter. “This project represents a necessary and meaningful investment in transportation infrastructure that will enhance safety, improve mobility, and support continued regional growth and economic vitality of Burnet county.”
Burnet County Commissioner Joe Don Dockery told fellow commissioners during the meeting that the proposed expansion project was submitted by the county’s TxDOT engineer for consideration to be a part of a $330 million transportation funding opportunity from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
CAMPO serves as a transportation planning organization covering Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties. The organization works with various local and state agencies to ensure transportation projects are facilitated across the entire region fairly.