Government
BY JESSICA SHORTEN
Montgomery County requests safety barriers along Hwy. 242 flyovers
Next steps
On May 6, Keough confirmed TxDOT had received the request and state officials are looking into options to fund the project by the end of 2025. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the rate of suicide per 100,000 people has risen from 13.5% to 18.2% in adults age 18-44 from 2013-22. According to the same data, the number of Texas residents who experience five or more bad mental health days in a month has also risen from 23.3% to 29.3% from 2020-23. “This is not just a statistic; it is a crisis affecting our schools, our friends, our families and our community,” Tinnell said. “As a community, we have spent too much time grieving and remembering the names of those we have lost. But now, we must move past words and into action.”
Following a petition which gained nearly 17,000 signatures as of press time, a request to the Texas Department of Transportation to install pedestrian fencing along the Hwy. 242 flyovers at I-45 is under consideration for funding in 2025. The fencing would provide additional barriers for those struggling with mental health issues. College Park High School senior Lacy Tinnell began a petition to install barriers along the Hwy. 242 flyover after losing two classmates to suicide less than one year apart. “These structures were not designed with that protection in mind, and it’s clear that immediate action is needed to prevent future tragedies,” Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough said.
Flyover barriers requested
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MONTGOMERY COLLEGE DR.
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