The Texas Department of Transportation, or TxDOT, is continuing to work on a $1.4 billion project geared toward improving traffic flows on Hwy. 46 in Comal and Guadalupe counties.
The transportation project will improve Hwy. 46, from I-35 to I-10, and I-35, from South Walnut Avenue to FM 306, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
The update
TxDOT officials are making refinements to the draft of the schematic design. TxDOT officials began working with property owners who may be affected by the project in 2022 before holding public meetings in 2023. Officials also plan to hold several additional public meetings for individuals who may be impacted by the project, according to an email from a TxDOT spokesperson.
The project's schematic design will be finalized after those meetings and then environmental studies will take place before potential environmental approval of the project, although a timeline for these next steps has yet to be determined. Final design, right-of-way acquisition and construction will be contingent upon environmental clearance and funding availability, according to the email.
The specifics
For Comal County, the project looks to construct elevated main lanes over the existing Hwy. 46 roadway and two direct connecting flyover ramps between Hwy. 46 and I-35.
TxDOT officials are also proposing to construct overpasses at:
- Elliot Knox Boulevard (Business I-35)
- I-35
- FM 1101 (Freiheit Road)
- Alves Lane
In Guadalupe County, TxDOT officials are proposing to expand Hwy. 46 to a four-lane controlled-access highway with two-lane, one-way frontage roads.
They also propose constructing new overpasses at:
- Mary Boulevard/Saengerhalle Road
- Weltner Road
- Link Road
- Cordova Road/Three Oaks Road
- Rudeloff Road
- Hiddenbrooke Pass
- I-10
How we got here
TxDOT identified that improvements would need to be made to the Hwy. 46 to accommodate projected future traffic volumes and to support the continued growth of the highway, according to previous Community Impact reporting. Planning for the project began in 2020 before TxDOT began coordinating with local municipalities to discuss the project in 2021.
