The addition of a roundabout at the intersection where CR 279 and Loop 332 meet is aimed to improve operational efficiency by increasing traffic flow, slowing down traffic through downtown and decreasing vehicular pollution, in turn making the intersection safer, according to city officials. It will also provide an opportunity for landscaping and green space, adding to the city’s downtown aesthetics.
“I just wanted to be sure [of] the timing of this, of moving forward now,” City Administrator Paul Brandenburg said at the meeting. “I’m not opposed to the project at all; I believe the roundabout is needed. My dilemma is, does it need to be delayed a little bit until signalization at Main Street and [RM] 1869 are up to see what that looks like?”
The Texas Department of Transportation is scheduled to install four-way traffic signals at the intersection of Loop 332 and RM 1869, helping to improve traffic in the area.
City staff said the traffic lights were supposed to be installed last summer, but due to certain obstacles, it is now more likely that they will be completed sometime in May.
Brandenburg requested a delay in the roundabout project to ensure the intersection signals installed by TxDOT will work for traffic control and that the city had a developed plan for traffic, detours, trucks and public communication, according to meeting documents. Without these factors, the concern, Brandenburg said, was causing more traffic issues.
Council voted in favor of the roundabout project moving forward now with no delays, despite concerns of increased traffic. The $2.1 million roundabout project will be funded through the city’s general fund budget.
The city will open the project up for bids starting May 3. City officials said work on the roundabout project will likely begin in three months, and construction could take roughly 10 months.
