Monday, January 13

Intersection of Nacogdoches Street and Seguin Avenue to close one week

In order to minimize the impact of work between Faust Road and Nacogdoches Road by more than 75 percent, the Texas Department of Transportation has approved a contractor-initiated proposal to close the intersection of Nacogdoches and Seguin Avenue for one week beginning January 20.

This is a proposal proving we’re willing to hear anyone out when an idea to move a project along surfaces. See, road-building may be what we do, but we are hard-pressed to say we have all the answers 100 percent of the time. After all, no absolute mortal has ever been successful at perfection.

TxDOT reviewed the plan with officials from the city of New Braunfels before giving the go-ahead, ensuring the closure doesn’t interfere with the city’s priorities. Austin Bridge and Road has been working on the expansion of Seguin Avenue under the Union Pacific Railroad crossing, which includes widening the main thoroughfare all the way through Faust. The road is being turned to a four-lane facility, with two lanes in each direction and a center left-turn lane. Sidewalks and space for bikes are also being included.

Work at Faust Street is wrapping up this week, and preparing to move to the Nacogdoches Street intersection. Traffic will still be able to reach the businesses between Faust and Nacogdoches, but all traffic headed through the UPRR crossing will take Faust to Comal Avenue before getting back over to Seguin Avenue. Essentially, this moves the current Seguin Avenue detour by just one block, and follows in each direction the same detour most drivers are using headed westbound.

Austin Bridge expects to have the intersection opened back up by Friday, Jan. 24, as long as weather holds up through the week. When the intersection reopens, most of the work between Faust and Nacogdoches will be finished. Crews dedicated to that work would then be allowed to focus on the underpass, potentially speeding up work on the major feature of the project.
 
Overall completion is expected by the end of the current school year.