AUSTIN (KXAN) — Hays County was recently awarded a $39,228,602 federal grant to build an overpass over one of the county’s main railroad crossings.
According to the county, the grant will cover 80% of the cost of Hays County’s Centerpoint Crossing Elimination and Safety Project in San Marcos, which will cost a total of approximately $49,035,753. The federal funding comes from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program.
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The rest of the project’s cost, about $9,807,151, will come from matching funds from the county and Union Pacific Railroad, according to the county.
The project will build an overpass along Centerpoint Road from I-35 to Hunter Road.
Plans for Centerpoint Road overpass at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing in San Marcos. (Hays County Photo)
According to the county, plans call for an overpass across the railroad with two lanes in each direction, a widened roadway with a median, shoulders, and shared-use paths on both sides.
The county’s press release said the project “aims to reduce train-related traffic delays, improve emergency response, and provide a safer connection between I-35 and Hunter Road for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians as San Marcos and western Hays County continue to grow.”
A preliminary engineering report and schematic design for the overpass were already completed by the county, while right-of-way acquisition and final designs are underway.
“Every day, drivers, school buses and emergency responders traveling on Centerpoint Road can be delayed by passing trains. That is not only a traffic concern, but it is also a public safety issue,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Morgan Hammer said in the release. “Elevating the roadway over the tracks would eliminate that conflict and improve safety and mobility.”
Project information, schedules and public engagement opportunities are available at HaysCoRoads.com