By Samantha Smith
The Hays County Commissioners Court May 17 approved an item that allows authorities to coordinate with property owners affected by the FM 150 West realignment study.
Commissioners approved the FM 150 West Alignment Study Schematic Approach Scope by a unanimous vote.
The idea for the approach scope came after the county in 2015 identified its preferred alternative for the FM 150 West Realignment project. County officials selected Corridor C for the project, which would focus the realignment from Arroyo Ranch Road heading east to IH-35 at Yarrington Road.
Hays County and TxDOT have partnered with the Federal Highway Administration to consider the realignment of a five-mile stretch of existing FM 150 to enhance safety and mobility for the current and future residents of Central Texas.
According to the website improvefm150.com, there is limited space to improve FM 150 in downtown Kyle. The county’s alternate route is west of downtown. The proposed project, according to the website, includes a 4-lane divided roadway with 150 feet of right-of-way.
But according to county documents, work was put on hold after the county received requests from the city of Kyle and affected property owners within Corridor C for guidance on the location of the roadway.
The concern, according to county documents, was that if work to define an alignment for the project isn’t started soon, the county could lose the opportunity to identify an alignment to development agreements and “approvals being considered.”
The approach scope would allow county staff to reach out to property owners and the city of Kyle to assess whether or not the realignment would be needed and possible for all interested parties.
Hays County Pct. 4 Commissioner Ray Whisenant also said that residents in that area had mixed reactions to the county’s intention to realign the roadway, but they were given ample time to attend public meetings on the topic.
“The earlier we can make an agreement, the better it will be for all parties considered,” Whisenant said of working with property owners in the proposed realignment zone.
Whisenant added the project was intended to provide for the safety of Hays County residents.
“The purpose of this project is to relieve traffic congestion on I-35,” Whisenant said.
According to the project’s website, improvefm150.com, project considerations include reducing congestion by providing separate routes for through and local traffic, improving pedestrian and bicycle safety, and providing a potential connection to the future FM 110 in San Marcos.
Pct. 2 Commissioner Mark Jones said the approach scope is an “opportunity to create possibly a more distinct ability for a highway alignment.”
“We have an opportunity, a window of ability, to maybe sit down and work with these property owners to find an alignment that works well for the highway, the county, the property owners and the city of Kyle,” Jones said at the May 17 meeting.
Jones added that the funds for the schematic approach have already been planned in the original project. The county plans to use $100,000 of the approximately $600,000 budget allocated for the environmental assessment to go to the schematic approach.
He said the approach would only introduce a change in scope to add to the work authorization.
According to Whisenant, the process of realigning the roadway has begun, but he said it would be at least three to four years before the full length of road would be constructed.
