By Moses Leos III
When Jeff Turner moved to Uhland roughly 30 years ago, there were more farm tractors than cars traveling along State Highway 21.
But growth along SH 21, primarily the influx of 18-wheeler traffic, has Turner and nearby residents concerned about the safety of the roadway. For Turner and resident Patricia Sylvester, hosting a public meeting with officials on March 29 is part of their effort to improve safety conditions.
“We’re wondering how much longer it will take (to fix the road), and I don’t mean a 10-year plan,” Sylvester said. “How much longer before residents sue the state for not protecting us?”
A primary issue is the increase in traffic along a roadway that is “20 years behind what the growth is,” according to Turner.
One Uhland resident attributed the growth to an increase in subdivisions and construction in the area. He also said traffic that “used to go down I-35 now goes down Highway 21.”
As a result, Turner said he has had to wait nearly 10 to 15 minutes at the end of his driveway, which intersects with SH 21, to enter the road. Other residents shared their concerns of traffic maneuvering around the edges of the highway to avoid turning vehicles that stop the flow of traffic.
Residents also had concerns about the lack of shoulders along the side of the road.
“The increase in the amount of traffic is understandable. The population has grown,” the resident said. “But roads haven’t kept up with the growth.”
Widening the road to add shoulders, or adding a dedicated turning lane were residents’ solutions to the problem.
But residents are fearful about possible accidents involving school buses as a result of the speed of the highway and increased traffic.
“It’s, who is going to get killed before they do something?” one resident said. “Not how many, but who?”
Sylvester’s concerns extend toward the increase in 18-wheeler traffic along the highway.
She said that speed along the highway and law enforcement presence was also an issue. Residents were also concerned about highway speeding, primarily by younger drivers.
Sylvester said adding additional law enforcement presence and lowering the speed limit to 50 miles per hour would alleviate some issues. State Highway 21 is currently a 65-mile per hour road.
“Every Saturday and Sunday, there are kids going back and forth. They are young and crazy, 19 years old and bulletproof,” Turner said. He added slowing the speed down would help with truck traffic in the area.
In an emailed response, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) spokesperson Kelli Reyna said they are looking to determine what improvements can be made to the corridor.
TxDOT currently has a $2.3 million project scheduled for late 2016 that would add 10-foot shoulders to Highway 21. The shoulders would extend on SH 21 from the Hays County line to 1600 feet east of the county line, Reyna said. That project also calls for pavement repairs and resurfacing from the Hays County line to the Bastrop/Caldwell County line.
Reyna also said a $17 million project adding passing lanes within the right of way of SH 21 from State Highway 80 to 71 is under development.
“This should help address some of the short-term needs until funding for construction can be obtained,” she said.
Changes in the speed limit, however, depend on engineering studies that calculate what speed 85 percent of the population travels on a road way.
Reyna said a speed study was conducted in 2012 on SH 21 in Uhland and results were reflected in changes in the speed limit. TxDOT will conduct a “more thorough speed study” this spring after a few speed measurements dropped.
But residents continue to wait for a solution. Many feel the state won’t alleviate the problem.
“This road has been exactly the same as it is right now for years,” Turner said. “Nothing has been done at all.”
