Bluff Road Alternatives Costly, Complicated
More than 120 folks attended the open house in La Grange Thursday over a possible alternative route for US 77 in Fayette County.
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) unveiled three potential alternative routes at the meeting. All three of them would divert traffic away from the curvy Bluff road south of La Grange. But to build any of them, Tx-DOT would need to obtain between 129 and 188 acres of new right-of-way, cutting through private property and displacing several residences.
Back in June, TxDOT held their first open house as part of a feasibility study to gather public input on possible improvements to US 77 aimed at addressing traffic hazards posed by heavy truck traffic.
TxDOT Spokesperson Lucea’n Kuykendall said engineers reviewed the public input from the June meeting to draft the three alternative routes.
The first two alternative routes would bring traffic to the west side of La Grange through Hostyn. Heading north, Alternative No. 1 would veer to the west just south of the FM 2436 intersection (known locally as the Hostyn Cutoff). The new roadway would parallel FM 2436 to the south before veering northeast just before the FM 609 intersection. The roadway would run alongside FM 609 northeast to La Grange before curving to the north through what is now private property. The roadway would intersect with SH 71 Bypass near the new LG-RV Park at the west end of town.
Alternative No. 2 would veer to the northwest north of the Hostyn Cutoff. The roadway would run through what is now private property before joining FM 609 near the Fayette County Sheriff’s Posse Rodeo Arena at Blankenburg Rd. From there, it would follow the same route as Alternative No. 1.
The third alternative takes an easterly route, veering off from US 77 just south of Suncatcher RV Park. Heading northeast, it would cross FM 155 at the Loehr Rd. intersection, just east of the KBUK Radio Station. A massive new bridge would carry it across the Colorado River. It would join with SH 71 Bypass east of town at the intersection of the Bypass and E. SH 71 Business (Ellinger Hwy.).
Plans call for a four-lane divided highway with 12-ft. lanes, 10-ft. shoulders and a 76-ft. median. TxDOT estimated construction to cost between $232 and $318 million, depending on which alternative, if any, is chosen. TxDOT included a no-build alternative as part of the feasibility study. Kuykendall said TxDOT may ultimately decide to do nothing. If TxDOT decides to proceed, construction would not begin for eight to 10 years.
More information about the feasibility study is availbale online at https:// www.txdot.gov/projects/ hearings-meetings/yoakum/ us77-la-grange-feasibilitystudy- 100523.html TxDOT wants to hear comments from the public about the proposal. Submit you comments by email at kgiles@cdandp.com or by mail to the following address: US 77 La Grange Feasibility Study, c/o CD&P, PO Box 5459, Austin, TX 78763. Comments may also be submitted online at the link above. Please submit your comments by Oct. 20.