Perhaps the most important thing to be said of the FM 306 job in the Gruene-New Branfels area is that we're on pace to have both UPRR overpasses - one near Hunter Road and one near Goodwin Lane - ready for us and open in time for Memorial Day.
The Goodwin Lane overpass is nearly complete, with "rod busters" building steel cages for the side rails. Temporary barriers are being set on the south side if the bridge; permanent barriers will be built when the eastbound side is built. The final layer of asphalt needs to be laid before traffic is able to use the bridge; that will happen closer to Memorial Day.
The Hunter Road bridge is progressing quickly, with bridge crews busy setting deck panels for the next couple of weeks. Hunter Industries plans to pour the concrete making the bridge deck late April, allowing just enough time to have the bridge finished for Memorial Day. The head of the bridge crews says they should be able to position cranes away from the active traffic lanes for that pour, meaning any further closures of FM 306 at this location are unlikely.
The other major upcoming development is a traffic switch between Goodwin Lane and I-35. Hunter is planning to split traffic, using newly built road surface on the shoulder areas, April 18. When the switch happens, traffic patterns on the eastern portion of the project will match the layout between Common Street and Hunter Road.
On another note, we've gotten some calls and emails expressing some frustrations about the timing of traffic signals in the area. The electricians on the job, Levy Construction, this week cleaned the sensor lenses on signals for better detection in hopes that helps issues. The city of New Braunfels maintains timing and is monitoring these intersections pretty well.