TxDOT Releases Preliminary Plan for Intersection Widening in LG

Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDOT) provided the Record with preliminary plans for widening the intersection at US 77 and Business 71 in La Grange.

TxDOT spokesperson Lucea’n Kuykendall-Herring said the plans are only 60 percent complete and could change before construction starts. The plans call for a new right-turn lane on the northbound side of US 77 (Jefferson Street).

The plans will require TxDOT to acquire property at all four corners of the intersection. Kuykendall-Herring said TxDOT will hire an independent appraiser to determine the value of the property to be acquired.

“TxDOT gives the property owner 30 days to respond to our offer,” she said. “If TxDOT and the property owner cannot agree on the value of the property, it will eventually go through the eminent domain process.”

She said the appraisal would include the value of improvements as well as the property itself.