The need for an urban- style highway intersection in south Marble Falls kindled discussion among residents April 9 about traffic and future growth.
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) officials hosted a public hearing on the proposed overhaul of the U.S. 281/ Texas 71 intersection in south Burnet County.
Hosted at Marble Falls High School, the come-and-go gathering featured static displays and maps as well as video demonstrations.
TxDOT is proposing to replace the current “cloverleaf” interchange with a “turbine” interchange. Also, the project would add elevated structures, new frontage roads and “shared-use paths” with safety and mobility in mind. The cost is estimated at $243 million.
Attendees Richard and Lillian Creasy of Meadowlakes see the planned project as necessary, in part, due to people moving into the area.
“When you build another apartment complex of 500 apartments, that’s another 4-500 cars that will be on the street. These two-lane roads are not going to cut it,” Richard Creasy said.
Lillian Creasy added, “When you can visualize, put yourself there and think how you would feel driving that, frankly, it’s a little scary, but I think it’s a big improvement because it’s scary the way it is (now).”
With a more skeptical view, Marble Falls resident Lynn Wilson described the planned project as “overblown.”
“Are they going to leave the 71 bridge because it becomes a fourlane bridge after you take the exits off it,” he said.
In 2019, collisions in the vicinity totaled 18; and in 2024 collision reports totaled 30. The intersection is about an hour west of Austin.
“The wrecks are not on the interchange (intersection of Texas 71 and U.S. 281),” Lynn Wilson said. “All these wrecks they’re showing are due to the hospital (two miles off Texas 71 West), not the (existing) bridge (overpass).
“I could see people not paying attention as they merge, it’s easy to lengthen that loop,” he added. “That’s what they’re doing with the turbine.”
TxDOT spokeswoman Kellen Mohrmann says the planned project enhances safety.
“We know there are some safety concerns with this interchange. A cloverleaf has a tight turn for folks that are trying to make those left-turn movements,” Mohrmann said. “You have to make those weaving movements, so being able to propose an alternative that would remove that, I think that would be very bene- ficial for the community."
In 2016, the state agency first launched a comprehensive study about the intersection. In 2024, TxDOT hosted a public meeting on the project. The recent gathering served as a public hearing to present a “draft environmental assessment.”
“It’s where we say, ‘This is what we found so far. This is our current design that we would like to move forward with construction,’” Mohrmann said. “We give the public a chance to provide feedback on it and let us know if they have any concerns.”
Marble Falls City Manager Caleb Kraenzel viewed the project as proactive.
“TxDOT has been very thorough in arriving at all the decisions they made,” Kraenzel said. “It is needed.
“This interchange is one of the few interchanges that TxDOT has said is not as safe as most other interchanges in the state,” he added. “All the households planned, all the commercial planned – there’s a lot of adjacent development.
“Their last design in 2024, there was a lot of real estate taken in by the project; a lot of buildings that were just built that were going to be demo’ed because of the project. So they condensed it into impacting less real estate than it originally did.”
Burnet County Judge Bryan Wilson applauded the live demonstrations, videos and “public engagement.”
“I remember coming here with three little kids in 1982 or 83, and it was no problem back then. We’ve grown a lot since then. (This project has) been modeled after one in Beaumont. There’s another one in Amarillo,” Bryan Wilson said. “You can see what’s going on and what’s going to happen. If (residents) don’t like something, you should say something, so TxDOT can start working on other solutions.”
The groundbreaking for the project is from 2028-2033.
Construction funding for right-of-way acquisition is “to be determined.”
To comment on the project, email [email protected]; or mail TxDOT Austin District, Attn: US 281 at SH 71, 1949 S. I-35 Frontage Rd, Ste 105, Austin, Texas 78741. Or visit www.txdot.gov and click on the Explore Projects tab and search Marble Falls. Call 512952-8270 with questions.
All comments received on or before Friday, April 24 will be included in the public hearing summary.
