County Makes Its Opposition To Bluff Bypass Plan Official

Fayette County Commissioners Court signed a resolution expressing their opposition to the US 77 Bypass. They approved the resolution during a special meeting on Monday, Aug. 12.

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) proposed the bypass earlier this year following a feasibility study. The study was aimed at reducing crashes, especially those involving 18-wheelers, on the curvy Bluff road south of La Grange. TxDOT held two open houses in La Grange last year to gather community input.

In October of last year, Tx-DOT unveiled three alternative routes. The first roughly followed the current alignment of FM 2436 and FM 609 through Hostyn. A second alternative involved a new section of highway cutting through what is now private property north of Hostyn heading to the west.

It would connect with the SH 71 Bypass on the west side of La Grange near Snappy’s Market. The third alternative would have been a new highway to the east, including a new bridge across the Colorado River near Camp Lone Star. It would have connected with the SH 71 Bypass on the east side of town.

Based on community feedback, TxDOT settled on a revised version of the second option. They announced the proposed route back in April.

Jeff Vinklarek, director of transportation and planning for TxDOT’s Yoakum District, visited the La Grange City Council on June 10 to request support for the bypass.

“We’re not here to say, ‘This is what you need and you’ve got to have it,’ Vinklarek told the Council at that time. “But if the City and the County support it, TxDOT will go looking for the money. I can’t promise you we’ll get the money. We won’t get it unless we ask for it. But we don’t want to ask for it if we don’t have local support.”

Ever since then, landowners in the path of the route have been asking both the Council and Commissioners Court to oppose the plan.

The Commissioners Court sided with the landowners during the meeting this Monday. More than 15 people signed up to speak at the meeting. County Judge Dan Mueller said he worked with the County’s legal department to draft two resolutions – one in favor of the bypass and one opposed to it.

“One of these resolution asks that the highway department continue to look at the bypass situation,” Mueller said. “The other resolution is asking that the highway department suspend their plans to put in a bypass surrounding La Grange.”

According to State law, trucks cannot be prohibited from using the Bluff road. Several citizens who spoke at the meeting noted that gravel trucks on FM 155 will have little incentive to drive several miles out of their way to take the bypass.

“Since (the State Legislature) won’t pass the laws to stop them from going down the Bluff, this is their alternative,” said Pct. 4 Commissioner Drew Brossmann. “To take over your land and build these bypasses. It’s not going to work whatsoever.”

“This is a state issue,” Mueller said. “It’s incumbent upon the Court to give them our opinion. They want to know how the City feels. They’ve approached the City Council of La Grange. They want to know how the County feels on this issue. Pct. 1 Commissioner Jason McBroom said any bypass that TxDOT decides to build will affect SH 71 as well, since north and southbound traffic will have to merge onto 71 to get to US 77.

“Highway 71 will have to go to three lanes,” he said. “71 has got way too much traffic on it already. It’s the same as an interstate highway. And now (this would) throw another highway onto it.”

The Court voted unanimously to sign the resolution opposed to the bypass.

Several of the citizens who spoke at the Commissioners Court Monday morning also spoke at the La Grange City Council meeting Monday evening. They asked to City Council to also sign a resolution opposed to the bypass. The Council has not yet taken any action regarding the bypass. La Grange Councilman Ken Taylor was one of the citizens who spoke against the bypass at the Commissioners Court meeting Monday morning. Taylor said he will not vote in favor of the bypass, and he said he doubts a majority of the Council supports it, either.