Highway 77 North of LG To Get Major Expansion

La Grange area residents can expect to see some major highway construction projects over the next few years.

La Grange City Manager Shawn Raborn presented an update to the City Council on March 8 about some upcoming plans from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The biggest one involves a major expansion of US 77 north of La Grange.

Raborn said TxDOT plans to widen the highway to five lanes from the SH 71 bypass to FM 2145 (the Nechanitz cutoff). Those five lanes would include a middle turning lane.

US 77 will then widen even further to a four lane divided highway from the Nechanitz cutoff to the unincorporated community of Warda. In Warda, the highway will narrow back down to five lanes with a middle turning lane. Past Warda, the road will return to a fourlane divided highway to the Lee County line.

Raborn said the state has funded the project and plans to begin construction in 2024. The project will likely take some time to complete.

In other highway news, TxDOT plans to install traffic signals at the intersection of SH 159 and the SH 71 Bypass near Whataburger and Texas One Stop. That intersection has seen quite a few wrecks over the years. Plans are also underway to widen the intersection at Travis Street and Jefferson Street in downtown and the intersection of Travis Street and Jackson Street near H-E-B.