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Traffic stops on 11th Street, Bandera, while motorists wait for a family of ducks to cross the road. Meanwhile, motorists continue to navigate construction on Hwy. 16 and other areas of the county.
Photo by Jessica Nohealapa’ahi
May 30, 2024
Briefings from Bandera County Commissioners Court
State construction projects planned
By Jessica Nohealapa’ahi
The Bandera Prophet
Announcing next summer as a rough finish date for construction on Hwy. 16 from Robindale East to Old San Antonio Road, Texas Department of Transportation Area Engineer Andres Gonzalez said the project - a roadway expansion from two to four lanes with a center turn lane - is about 30 percent complete.
In his report to commissioners last week, Gonzalez presented an overview of the Rural Transportation Improvement Program to be funded during the next four years. Ongoing projects at the bridge on English Crossing Road should be completely closed out in about three months; the job on Privilege Creek, .2 miles west of FM 1283 to widen the road and add shoulders, is about 60 percent complete, Gonzalez said. Traffic will switch within the next couple of weeks, and the project is projected to close out at the end of August or beginning of September.
Other jobs in the pipeline for 2026-28 include plans to add left and right turn lanes on both sides of Main Street, at the Hwy. 173 and 16S intersection; replacing the Patterson Street bridge on FM 2828; and seal coating various road sections, including parts of Hwy. 16, FM 470, RM 337, Beach Drive, RM 187, and FM 1283. Gonzalez said TxDOT is looking at a possible future expansion project on Hwy. 46 from Hwy. 16 to IH10.
“Things move like molasses in Bandera. We appreciate what you do, but you need to plug a little harder for us,” Pct. 4 Commissioner Jody Rutherford said.
County Judge Richard Evans said areas on Hwy. 16 with patterns of opening to two lanes and closing back to one numerous times are problematic, especially with distracted drivers.
“People drive crazy on 16,” Evans said. “I know it won’t be fixed within my lifetime, and I’ll be pushing up daisies before it’s taken care of…[but] it’s a problem.”
In other business, County Sheriff Dan Butts said the jail had a successful inspection last week, with no write-ups or deductions.
During the month of April, the Sheriff’s Office received 465 calls for service; deputies traveled 17,663 miles with an average tone to on scene time of 11.01 minutes; 19 arrests were made, including 14 felony arrests; 43 property crimes were investigated; 74 crimes against a person were investigated; 50 animal-related calls were received; three dogs were picked up by animal control; there were 51 bookings in the Bandera County Jail, which had an average population of 52 inmates, three of whom were contracted from other counties.
Butts said an inmate, who was arrested on a warrant out of Wisconsin, went on a hunger strike and required transport to the hospital several times for hydration and treatment over the course of one month. Once a bed was available, he was admitted to a mental health facility before being sent back to the Bandera County jail and picked up by Wisconsin authorities.
The Bandera County EMS Department received 251 calls for service in April; EMTs traveled 12,738 miles, with a one-minute average tone to response time, and 10.46-minute average for tone to on scene time.
In his report to commissioners last week, Gonzalez presented an overview of the Rural Transportation Improvement Program to be funded during the next four years. Ongoing projects at the bridge on English Crossing Road should be completely closed out in about three months; the job on Privilege Creek, .2 miles west of FM 1283 to widen the road and add shoulders, is about 60 percent complete, Gonzalez said. Traffic will switch within the next couple of weeks, and the project is projected to close out at the end of August or beginning of September.
Other jobs in the pipeline for 2026-28 include plans to add left and right turn lanes on both sides of Main Street, at the Hwy. 173 and 16S intersection; replacing the Patterson Street bridge on FM 2828; and seal coating various road sections, including parts of Hwy. 16, FM 470, RM 337, Beach Drive, RM 187, and FM 1283. Gonzalez said TxDOT is looking at a possible future expansion project on Hwy. 46 from Hwy. 16 to IH10.
“Things move like molasses in Bandera. We appreciate what you do, but you need to plug a little harder for us,” Pct. 4 Commissioner Jody Rutherford said.
County Judge Richard Evans said areas on Hwy. 16 with patterns of opening to two lanes and closing back to one numerous times are problematic, especially with distracted drivers.
“People drive crazy on 16,” Evans said. “I know it won’t be fixed within my lifetime, and I’ll be pushing up daisies before it’s taken care of…[but] it’s a problem.”
In other business, County Sheriff Dan Butts said the jail had a successful inspection last week, with no write-ups or deductions.
During the month of April, the Sheriff’s Office received 465 calls for service; deputies traveled 17,663 miles with an average tone to on scene time of 11.01 minutes; 19 arrests were made, including 14 felony arrests; 43 property crimes were investigated; 74 crimes against a person were investigated; 50 animal-related calls were received; three dogs were picked up by animal control; there were 51 bookings in the Bandera County Jail, which had an average population of 52 inmates, three of whom were contracted from other counties.
Butts said an inmate, who was arrested on a warrant out of Wisconsin, went on a hunger strike and required transport to the hospital several times for hydration and treatment over the course of one month. Once a bed was available, he was admitted to a mental health facility before being sent back to the Bandera County jail and picked up by Wisconsin authorities.
The Bandera County EMS Department received 251 calls for service in April; EMTs traveled 12,738 miles, with a one-minute average tone to response time, and 10.46-minute average for tone to on scene time.