The Bandera Electric Cooperative board unanimously approved a resolution urging the Texas Department of Transportation to accelerate safety improvements along Texas 46, where the cooperative said 13 people have been killed in crashes since 2016.
Texas 46 is a scenic, hilly drive, but much of the highway between Boerne and Bandera has only two lanes, narrow or limited shoulders, sharp curves and restricted sightlines. Most of the corridor has no barrier separating opposing traffic. Many of the fatalities have resulted from head-on crashes.
TxDOT has said it has spent several million dollars on short-term safety improvements along the corridor, with additional work planned. The agency has also said many crashes on the highway involve driver errors, including speeding.
According to the cooperative’s resolution, TxDOT has confirmed plans for additional safety work along the corridor. Centerline rumble strips were installed in June. Planned improvements also include resurfacing, a four-foot centerline buffer, concrete barriers at Webster’s Corner and turn-lane upgrades at eight intersections.
The resolution adds the cooperative to a growing list of organizations and elected officials calling for faster action. Commissioners in Bandera and Kendall counties and the Boerne Independent School District board have approved similar resolutions. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation and state Rep. Wes Virdell have also written to TxDOT’s executive director.
“The board respectfully urges the Texas Department of Transportation to complete every step within its control—including environmental clearance—as quickly as possible, and to advance the bid and construction timeline so that these lifesaving improvements are delivered sooner than currently scheduled,” the resolution says.
According to the resolution, TxDOT has scheduled the project to be advertised for bids in September 2027, with construction expected to begin in January 2028. The cooperative said the timeline depends on environmental clearance scheduled for April 2027 and urged the agency to complete that process sooner.
The cooperative said its members regularly travel Texas 46 between communities including Pipe Creek, Lakehills, Bandera, Boerne and San Antonio. Citing TxDOT data, the resolution says the corridor has recorded 550 crashes since 2016, resulting in 13 deaths and 44 serious injuries.
The cooperative said it would send the approved resolution to TxDOT.
