Deadly accident prompts Bertram call for $210,000 roadwork loan
BERTRAM — A dangerous section of road is prompting the City Council to ask the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a $210,00 loan to extend a traffic turn lane on Texas 29.
The extension to the eastern city limits is needed to make the roadway safer in an area where an automobile accident claimed four lives several months ago, Councilman Mike Richardson Jr. said.
If approved by USDA, the loan will cost the city about $210,000 over a 30-year period, Richardson added during the Tuesday night council meeting.
“It is a capital investment,” he said. “Yes, it is a lot of money, but what is one family in a car worth?”
The Texas Department of Transportation plans to build a new turn lane from East Street to the Big’s Shell Station No. 106 along 29, Richardson said. The city would spend USDA funds to extend the TxDOT lane about 700 feet from Big’s to Winkley’s Trading Post on 29 to a point just a few feet past Castleberry Court, he added.
Also related to roads, the council authorized City Secretary Polly Krenek to ask TxDOT officials how much it might cost to build a new turn lane on 29 from North Gabriel Street to East Street.
“From my perspective, that just makes sense,” Richardson said.
There is an existing turn lane on 29 in Bertram that extends from Grange Street to North Gabriel. In the future, a turn lane may stretch 26 miles from U.S. 183 through Bertram to Burnet, Richardson said.
Turning to another matter, the council accepted the donation of a statue of former Bertram resident J.V. “Pinky” Wilson from Gene Taylor.
While serving with the Army during World War I, Wilson composed the Texas A&M University “Aggie War Hymn.”
“That is very generous,” Mayor JoAnn Stephens told Taylor.
Plans are under way to place the statue of Wilson at the Bertram train depot, Taylor said.
Also during the meeting, the council:
Presented appreciation plaques to 16 businesses and individuals from Bertram, Burnet, Cedar Park, Florence, Leander, Liberty Hill and Marble Falls who helped Bertram recover from the June 2009 windstorm.
- Waived all fees for the May 9 benefit at the City Pavilion for the Helping Hand fund.
- Granted a permit to J.D. Pruett to use of a recreational vehicle as a temporary rental residence for 30 days.
- Agreed to pay no more than $400 for restroom facilities and trophies for a barbecue cook-off sponsored by Todd Heath April 16-18 at the Rodeo Grounds.
- Agreed to hold a public hearing on the possible conversion of North Gabriel Street into a one-way street during a future council meeting.
- Waived tap fees for the JoAnn Cole Mitte Memorial Library now under construction.