Hwy. 46 overhaul ahead From the cover
Zooming in
Project overview
Shared use path
As tra c continues to increase along Hwy. 46 in New Braunfels, the Texas Department of Transportation, or TxDOT, is proposing a transportation project geared toward improving safety and mobility along key corridors in Comal and Guadalupe counties. Although in its early planning stages, the project focuses on two sections of roadway: Hwy. 46 from I-35 and I-10, and I-35 from S. Walnut Avenue and FM 306, according to a presentation from an April 23 New Braunfels Economic Development Corporation luncheon. The Hwy. 46 portion of the project makes up 11 miles, and the I-35 section of the project makes up approximately 4 miles, according to a 2023 open house presentation from TxDOT. The project aims to improve safety by providing controlled-access lanes and overpasses. The current con guration of Hwy. 46 includes two 12-foot lanes in each direction, 10-foot-wide shoulders and a 16-foot-wide center turn lane. The proposed improvements in Comal County include elevating Hwy. 46 main lanes, adding two new elevated ramps between Hwy. 46 and I-35 that will merge with I-35 tra c and ramp reconstruction along I-35. Those changes are designed to reduce congestion at intersections, according to an email from TxDOT. For Guadalupe County, TxDOT is proposing expanding Hwy. 46 into a four-lane highway, which would include new overpass locations and a one-way frontage road to better manage tra c and provide safer highway access. The new main lanes would consist of two 12-foot lanes in each direction, with additional supplemental lanes as needed. The additional lanes would connect directly to the yovers between I-35 and Hwy. 46, the email states.
2 at-grade lanes
46
Proposed elevated section:
2 lanes per direction
New Braunfels
337
35
123
46
10
2 main lanes 2 frontage road lanes Shared use path
90
90
Seguin
123
46
MAP NOT TO SCALE N
Why now?
Planning Organization’s Mobility 2050 Plan. The number of vehicles along Hwy. 46 are also projected to increase by 78% by the year 2048 in Comal County and by 84% in Guadalupe County, according to 2019 Initial Project Tra c Projections. Josh Schneuker, director of Seguin’s Economic Development Corporation, said the project is long overdue. “It’s [going to] really enhance connectivity between the two cities, it’s [going to] open up economic development opportunities—speci cally at some of these key intersections that plan to have more controlled access,” Schneuker said.
TxDOT is trying to address increasing tra c vol- umes on Hwy. 46, impacting safety and mobility, and extensive congestion on Hwy. 46 near I-35 during peak hours. Seguin’s City Manager Steve Parker said they have about 17,000 homes that will be built across the city, and that getting projects like this completed before that growth happens is going to be “crucial.” Comal County’s population is forecast to increase by 164% by 2050. In Guadalupe County, the population is projected to increase by 107% in 2050, according to the Alamo Area Metropolitan
Projected tra c increase on Hwy. 46
2048
2019
80K
+78.19%
+84.72%
60K
40K
20K
0
Comal County
Guadalupe County
SOURCE: 2019 INITIAL PROJECT TRAFFIC PROJECTIONS COMMUNITY IMPACT
30
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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