Six New Braunfels transportation projects awarded $34 million

The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) has awarded $34.5 million to the city of New Braunfels and Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for six projects that will upgrade the city’s roads and enhance infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists.

New Braunfels and TxDOT submitted the projects for AAMPO to include in its FY 2025-2058 Transportation Improvement Program. AAMPO’s Transportation Policy Board (TPB) recently approved those projects. New Braunfels will work with AAMPO and TxDOT to move the projects forward. Construction is expected to start September 2024.

AAMPO is a regional agency responsible for developing transportation plans and programs to move people and goods safely and efficiently for Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe Counties and the city of Boerne. AAMPO’s TPB approves $200 million in projects annually and must greenlight federal funding for all transportation projects in the region. In June 2022, TPB adopted Mobility 2050, a long-range transportation plan to reduce crash fatalities in the region to zero over the next 25 years.

New Braunfels will receive $12.3 million for four projects. The city will use $6.8 million to build multimodal elements within the Gruene Historic District, including shared-use paths for pedestrians and cyclists, protected crossings and a 6-foot sidewalk.

Other projects include using $3.2 million to improve a section of Solms Road spanning Farm Market 482 and Interstate 35 and investing $1.7 million in pedestrian improvements. This includes building a 10-foot shared-use path, protected crossings, sidewalks and removing barriers to comply with the American Disabilities Act.

“Receiving this funding allows the city of New Braunfels to expand our capital investments in transportation projects by freeing up bond funds for other projects,” City Manager Robert Camareno said in a release.

The projects follow AAMPO’s 2023 call for projects and last year’s approval of the New Braunfels Transit Development Plan. The document lays out a blueprint for meeting public transportation needs for a rapidly growing city. New Braunfels grew by 56% between 2010 and 2019, making it the third-fastest growing city in the country. Part of the plan calls for enhancing sustainable transportation options to reduce congestion and vehicle-based emissions.

TxDOT has received $22.2 million for two projects, including $19.2 million to improve the road interchange at I-35 and Solms Road. TxDOT will build turnarounds, additional turn lanes and improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities for the interchange. The other $3 million will go to improving the intersection at State Highway 46 and Mary Boulevard/Saengerhalle Road by building a raised median, turn lanes, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

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