BANDERA COUNTY, Texas — The Texas Department of Transportation (Texas Department of Transportation) presented roadway safety improvement plans for Texas 46 to Bandera County commissioners on Thursday after the county declared the highway inadequate following a series of fatal crashes.
County officials said many of the crashes involved head-on collisions along the stretch of State Highway 46 between Highway 16 and Interstate 10 in Boerne.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Troy Konvicka said TxDOT presented short-term improvement plans targeting seven intersections and one curve along the 11-mile corridor. He said the proposals do not address the full length of the roadway.
Konvicka said TxDOT estimated that the short-term projects would take about four years to complete. He said the timeline allows continued risk of additional crashes.
He said the county requested a broader plan for the entire corridor.
“I feel we need to get this process moving forward quicker, and instead of putting a band-aid on a short-term solution, let’s figure out what the long-term solution is and get it started today,” Konvicka said.
Konvicka said he asked TxDOT to hold a town hall meeting in Bandera County to hear concerns from residents about blind spots, sharp curves, and narrow shoulders.
TxDOT said in a statement that crash data from 2021 to 2025 showed 244 reported crashes along the corridor, including six fatal crashes. The agency said the most common contributing factors included unsafe speed, failure to control speed, and driver inattention.
TxDOT said it has implemented near-term safety measures, including new signage, pavement markings, rumble strips, friction treatments, pavement repairs, and sight distance improvements. The agency said crash data showed a 7% reduction in crashes in 2025 compared to the previous year.
TxDOT also said it secured $7 million in Highway Safety Improvement Program funding for intersection upgrades in Kendall and Bandera counties. The agency said it is conducting a feasibility study for long-term upgrades, including possible road widening, added passing lanes, and curve realignments.
Konvicka said the state should allocate additional funding for improvements beyond federal funding sources.
TxDOT said it will present its improvement plans to Kendall County commissioners on May 27.
