The overview
The SCUCISD board of trustees unanimously approved a resolution Nov. 20 supporting two city of Cibolo projects, the FM 78/Country Lane Grade Separated Overpass Project and the MPO Pedestrian Bridge and Trail Connectivity Project.
The resolution supports the city’s efforts to acquire grant funds from the Texas Department of Transportation’s Off-System Rail Grade Separation State Fund Program.
TxDOT’s program was established from the 89th Texas Legislature to improve public safety, enhance mobility and reduce congestion at rail crossings on nonstate roadways, according to Cibolo City Council agenda documents.
According to the Cibolo City Council agenda documents, city staff developed a $50 million grant preliminary application with a $5 million local match. A portion of the local match, up to 50%, may be available from Union Pacific Railroad.
Project details
According to Cibolo agenda documents, a grade-separated overpass would be constructed at the FM 78 and Country Lane train crossing. The crossing has been the site of multiple train-vehicle collisions and frequent blocked crossing delays, agenda documents state.
A grade separation is a physical separator at the crossing of two roadways so that neither interferes with the other, according to TxDOT.
If successful, the grant would accelerate plans to have a grade-separated connection from FM 1103 to I-10, which has been a goal of the city since the early 2000s, agenda documents state.
The Pedestrian Bridge and Trail Connectivity project, also a Cibolo grant application, would create connectors under rail lines and under FM 78 to connect the local trail system.
Quote of note
Chief Operations Officer JD Mosley said he often hears about larger vehicles becoming stuck at the FM 78 and Country Lane crossing.
"The construction of a grade-separated crossing over the railroad tracks parallel to FM 78 would eliminate the dangerous Country Lane crossing and safeguard emergency response between the north and south areas of our district," Mosley said in an email to Community Impact. "This improvement would also create a more reliable route for our transportation department and for families traveling to and from school, strengthening both safety and efficiency in daily student transportation."
Next steps
According to Cibolo agenda documents, TxDOT staff intend to award grants under the Off-System Rail Grade Separation State Fund Program in January.
