The Texas Department of Transportation Brownwood District has decided on two preliminary routes for Interstate-14 that will span east to west across Lampasas County.
TxDOT unveiled its plans to a crowd of nearly 100 county residents at the Lampasas Middle School cafeteria on Monday evening. A second public meeting was held Tuesday in Lometa, with a third still to come on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at Taylor Creek Elementary School.
Randy Gros, a transportation team leader at Garver, TxDOT’s engineering consultant on the project, walked attendees through the I-14 plans as they related to Lampasas County.
Gros said TxDOT took feedback from meetings held in December to develop 15 preliminary routes, with each starting west of Big Divide Road and continuing toward Lometa. After reviewing public input, the list has been trimmed to two alternatives.
Each route would begin slightly west of County Road 4808 before continuing westward north of the Lampasas city limits.
Alternative No. 1, measuring 30.5 miles, would cross the railroad and East Avenue J before continuing west, crossing over U.S. Highway 281 about 2 miles from East Fourth Street. The interstate would continue west before reconnecting with U.S. Highway 183.
Slightly longer at 31.5 miles, Alternative No. 2 also would cross the railroad and East Avenue J but be located farther north of the Lampasas Municipal Airport near Little Lucy Creek. The path would continue west, crossing over CR 2200, CR 2001 and the railroad before meeting up again with U.S. 183.
Gros said these routes were selected because of their access to the city of Lampasas.
“They have a smaller footprint than the other routes, meaning less right of way is needed and less properties are affected,” he told the audience. “Their locations are closer to Lampasas, which helps reduce impact on local businesses that depend on that highway traffic to pass through.”
Both routes would be composed of three design alternatives. All three include a controlled-access freeway with two 12-foot lanes in each direction divided by a 76-foot grassy median.
Two rural options feature either no frontage roads or 12-foot, two-lane, one-way frontage roads on both sides within a variable right of way. The third is an “urban” section that includes frontage roads, a 10-foot shared-use path or sidewalk, and a 350to 400-foot right of way.
Gros said the project remains in the development phase. Currently, no federal funding is assigned to the Copperas Cove to Lometa I-14 project.
The 25-mile stretch of I-14 from Copperas Cove to Belton is the only section developed to date for the proposed 1,300-mile interstate highway.
“Once funding is identified, the preferred concept will be evaluated with an environmental study estimated to start in the next five to 10 years at the earliest,” Gros said. “Following this, there will be a detailed design phase, utility relocation and construction of the roadway. These phases are not expected to begin for the next 10 to 20 years.”
As for next steps, TxDOT will design a preferred alternative over the next several months before hosting another public meeting in the winter. A fourth public meeting on the project is to be held next spring before its feasibility reporting is complete.
Residents may submit feedback on the project until July 15. Those interested may do so by email at Interstate14Study Lampasas@txdot.gov, or by leaving a voice message at 325-643-0409.
Written comments may be mailed to TxDOT Brownwood District Office c/o Sarah Faetche, 2495 HWY 183 North, Brownwood, TX 76802.
