STAFF WRITER CONNIE SWINNEY SPICEWOOD — Leah Hughes of Spicewood was headed back to work at her construction job in Spicewood on Texas 71 when the gravel truck came up behind her. She had stopped her eastbound Chevrolet Tahoe in the left lane of the 6600 block of the highway and was waiting for oncoming […]

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STAFF WRITER CONNIE SWINNEY MARBLE FALLS — Another project aimed at easing congestion at a busy intersection — RR 1431 and U.S. 281 — has joined the list of proposed road upgrades eligible for millions of dollars in federal fuel tax funding, officials said. (more…)

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STAFF WRITER CONNIE SWINNEY MARBLE FALLS — A handful of Burnet County road projects have made the cut on a recommended list for federal highway funding, launching a comment and meeting phase for the public. (more…)

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STAFF WRITER CONNIE SWINNEY CASTELL — Llano County residents will consider safety vs. the historical value of the Schneider Slab Crossing on the Llano River while mulling a proposal to build a new bridge nearby, officials said. (more…)

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STAFF WRITER CONNIE SWINNEY SPICEWOOD — Burnet County officials on March 15 descended upon the scene of the second Texas 71 collision in a week to gather evidence and urge the Texas Department of Transportation to consider safety upgrades to the crash-prone stretch of highway. (more…)

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STAFF WRITER CONNIE SWINNEY TRAVIS SETTLEMENT — When Sari Pearce pulls onto Texas 71 from her home just west of Bee Cave, she feels on edge. “Even before the day of the fatality, there were other accidents,” said Pearce, a resident of Travis Settlement, located just west of Bee Creek Road. (more…)

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STAFF WRITER CONNIE SWINNEY HORSESHOE BAY — To keep up with Horseshoe Bay traffic and development, state and local leaders are teaming up to add turn lanes to RR 2147 West and plan a traffic light for the Texas 71/RR 2147 intersection. (more…)

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STAFF WRITER CONNIE SWINNEY AUSTIN — A recommendation to double the allowed height of billboards visible from state and federal highways has prompted opponents to mobilize against the potential measure. (more…)

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EDITOR DANIEL CLIFTON KINGSLAND — Residents who drive RR 1431 in Kingsland and Llano County can share their thoughts on possible changes to the roadway with the Texas Department of Transportation during an emergency town hall meeting Tuesday, June 27. (more…)

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EDITOR DANIEL CLIFTON KINGSLAND — Many people have concerns about highways and transportation issues and wonder why the Texas Department of Transportation “doesn’t do this” or what state officials are up to. TxDOT and the Capital Area Council of Governments are basically giving Llano and Blanco counties a chance to ask those questions during two […]

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STAFF WRITER CONNIE SWINNEY AUSTIN — The Texas Department of Transportation has proposed improving safety features in two areas along crash-prone highways, including installing a traffic light on U.S. 281 in northern Marble Falls and a turn-lane on Texas 29 between Bertram and Liberty Hill. (more…)

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EDITOR DANIEL CLIFTON MARBLE FALLS — As a motorcyclist, Michael Taber knows what it’s like to go unseen on the road. “Motorcycles have a smaller profile, so people don’t always see us,” he said. “Or, they don’t realize how close we are, and, you know, that can be a problem.” (more…)

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CONNIE SWINNEY • STAFF WRITER MARBLE FALLS — A county official and a business owner have launched an effort to coax the Texas Department of Transportation to research traffic safety and potential upgrades along state highways in and around the Burnet, Horseshoe Bay, Marble Falls and Spicewood communities. A spike in traffic deaths on those […]

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JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF MARBLE FALLS — The finishing touches are being put on the U.S. 281 bridge in Marble Falls. Kelli Reyna, spokesperson for the Texas Department of Transportation, said most of the remaining work will be completed over the next month. (more…)

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CONNIE SWINNEY • PICAYUNE STAFF SPICEWOOD — As the Texas Department of Transportation mulls a request for higher billboard allowances, some residents in Burnet and Travis counties are worried about driving dangers and the obstruction of Hill Country views if the proposal passes. (more…)

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SPECIAL TO DAILYTRIB.COM AUSTIN — The Lower Colorado River Authority board of directors voted unanimously Dec. 18 to hire Phil Wilson, executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation, as the organization’s 11th general manager. Wilson will begin work at LCRA on Feb. 1. He will replace Rebecca S. Motal, who is retiring Dec. 31, […]

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JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF MARBLE FALLS — Construction efforts are under way for the second span of the U.S. 281 bridge project after the Lower Colorado River Authority verified the lake bottom is clear of debris. (more…)

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JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF MARBLE FALLS — The April 5 blast that demolished the remaining two piers of the old U.S. 281 bridge might have gone largely unnoticed above water. But below the surface of Lake Marble Falls, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reported 798 fish killed as a result of the explosion. […]

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FROM STAFF REPORTS MARBLE FALLS — The final pieces of the old U.S. 281 bridge in Marble Falls were reduced to rubble April 5. (more…)

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JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF MARBLE FALLS — Recent rains have pushed the date to demolish the remaining piers of the old U.S. 281 bridge to April 5. The Texas Department of Transportation and contractor Archer Western said the blast is scheduled “most likely” about 1:30 p.m. or 2 p.m. (more…)

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JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF MARBLE FALLS — A less-than-perfect bridge implosion has delayed the demolition of two piers in Lake Marble Falls that are all that remains of the old U.S. 281 bridge. (more…)

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JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF MARBLE FALLS — The March 17 implosion of the 77-year-old U.S. 281 bridge was not the end of work on the structure. Two concrete piers in Lake Marble Falls remain to be demolished. Officials said that could happen sometime in the next two weeks. (more…)

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FROM STAFF REPORTS MARBLE FALLS — Those making plans to watch the old U.S. 281 bridge implosion early March 17 should keep their ears open for signs the blast is near. A Texas Department of Transportation spokesperson said horn blasts will be used to signal the coming implosion. (more…)

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DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR MARBLE FALLS — When the countdown for the implosion of the old U.S. 281 bridge in Marble Falls begins March 17, KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune is throwing a party, and the public is invited. (more…)

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JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF MARBLE FALLS — Since the old U.S. 281 bridge’s closing Feb. 12, demolition crews have worked to remove everything from it except the steel truss, or frame, and the piers in the lake holding it up. Now the hours, minutes and seconds are winding down for the structure. (more…)

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JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF MARBLE FALLS — Concerned residents and business owners near the U.S. 281 bridge who have not personally heard from officials about the upcoming implosion likely won’t. And it’s not because the Texas Department of Transportation or contractor Archer Western have disregarded safety in planning the bridge’s implosion. (more…)

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