TxDOT CONSIDERING NEW OPTIONS IN HIGHWAY 290 CLOVERLEAF PROJECT

  

TxDOT is now looking at new possibilities for improvements to the Highway 290 cloverleaf in Brenham.

At a luncheon today (Wednesday) hosted by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, Lance Simmons, the district engineer for TxDOT’s Bryan District, gave updates on the cloverleaf improvement project and several other projects in Washington County.

When speaking on the cloverleaf project, Simmons announced that TxDOT is now considering five suggestions for the project, up from the three revealed at a joint meeting in March of 2019 between City of Brenham, Washington County, and TxDOT officials.

While Simmons did not show any concepts of the two new suggestions or explain how they would differ from the three originally proposed last March, he said the community will have an opportunity to provide comments on the new options at a public meeting in November.

 

Simmons said the reason for the addition of suggestions is simply because TxDOT had more ideas on how to improve the cloverleaf.  He said there are currently “no bad ideas” on the table.  He said the goal of the proposed improvements is to modernize the interchange, provide a continuous route along Highway 290, maintain two lanes in each direction, and keep access to local roads.

Simmons said there is not a specific date set for November’s public meeting, which will likely take on some virtual elements.  He said there may end up being multiple meetings held in order to ensure the public has enough opportunities to give input.

At the joint meeting with TxDOT last March, city and county officials seemed to prefer the second of the three options presented: a southern direct connection, which would create a connector south of the current cloverleaf with continuous flow for Highway 290.

In August of 2019, the Texas Transportation Commission approved TxDOT’s ten-year transportation plan, which includes $50 million in construction funding for the cloverleaf project.  Simmons said construction is still planned to begin in 2025, with project completion likely in two-and-a-half years.

Simmons also went over several other TxDOT projects that are either underway or upcoming in Washington County.  Projects discussed were:

• Improvements in downtown Brenham, with proposed improvements on Business 290 and Business 36. Upgrades would include new street surfaces and pedestrian safety enhancements.  City of Brenham Public Works Director Dane Rau said this project should start at the beginning of 2021, and expects completion in two to three months.
• Widening of Highway 290 between Chappell Hill and Hempstead. Improvements would include widening of the highway from four lanes to six, mobility and safety enhancements within the project corridor, and safety and operation upgrades in Chappell Hill.  Simmons said this is a long-range project that has not yet been funded, adding that TxDOT is still taking public comments concerning the project.
• Highway 105 bridge project between Brenham and Navasota. Simmons believes traffic will be switched onto the new bridges before the end of the year, with full project completion in spring of 2021.  The old bridges will be torn down.
• Highway 290 bridge rehabilitation project, involving the Holle Creek, Sheppard Creek, and Ganske Creek bridges between Brenham and Burton. Simmons said the project is about halfway done, and should be complete by the end of November.
• FM 50 rehab, mill and inlay project from Highway 105 to the Burleson County line. Simmons said this project should be complete by the end of the year.
• Highway 290 cable barrier project from the Fayette County line to FM 1948 near Burton. Simmons said the project is expected to start in the spring of 2021, and should be complete in the fall.