Marble Falls, developer and TxDOT partner on new H-E-B entryway

CONNIE SWINNEY • STAFF WRITER

MARBLE FALLS — City leaders have released a time schedule for the relocation of a street in an attempt to ease congestion and accommodate a developer with possible expansion plans on the H-E-B grocery store property, officials say.

“We were looking at the realignment, had set aside funds, had worked with the developer. They saw the need as far as realigning and creating a better entrance into H-E-B,” Marble Falls City Manager Mike Hodge said.

The realignment proposal involves closing the existing Avenue N section that intersects the 1500 block of RR 1431, which aligns with the main H-E-B entrance.

The relocation of a portion of Avenue N would involve creating a new roadway aligning with Bluebonnet Drive on the east side of the grocery store, one block east of the existing intersection.

Crews would move a section of Avenue N from the west side of Taco Casa, 1400 RR 1431, to the east side of the eatery, where the roadway would meander and reconnect with Ninth Street just north of the Broadway Avenue intersection.

Officials based the original estimated cost of $1.2 million on “significant improvements” along the creek as well as the cost of the signal light, Hodge said.

The Texas Department of Transportation is now expected to absorb the cost of the signal light.

“We think it’s going to be somewhat less than that, and we’re working to refine those numbers,” he said.

A number of factors, including a plan by TxDOT  to upgrade three traffic lights on RR 1431, coincided with the proposed realignment, Hodge said.

“The condition of the road has gotten to where we need to do some major reconstruction. So as part of that process, we said, ‘Why don’t we go ahead and look at the realignment,’” he said. “We’ve had some congestion associated with how popular the H-E-B is and how much traffic it’s been generating, so we’re trying to resolve some issues there.

“By changing that alignment, we think we can get better efficiency in and around that area and provide better access into the H-E-B and Beall’s parking lot,” he added.

Marble Falls City Council could consider possible bids shortly after the first of the new year.

“We’re getting pretty close to completing those plans and putting those plans out for bid,” Hodge said. “Our anticipated bid schedule would be having it in front of the city council in January for (a bid) award.”

On Dec. 2, Hodge informed the Marble Falls Economic Development Corp. board that a developer associated with the H-E-B property has paid the city $130,000 toward the Avenue N realignment project.

Once the bid is awarded, the work could be done by May or June 2016.

connie@thepicayune.com