Edinburg council directs median plan for Alberta Road; TxDOT signs off on two alternatives

Edinburg — The City Council voted to direct staff to proceed with a median option for the Alberta Road reconstruction project at the Klausner intersection, after a detailed presentation from the city engineer, technical remarks from Texas Department of Transportation representatives and public comment from nearby business owners and residents.

City Engineer Marlo Quinojosa told the council the project is roughly "62% completion" and described progress from I‑69 west to the city's western limits. "The section between Jackson and Sugar, the road has been paved," she said, and the team expects to finish the next section "by the April" and begin improvements east of Klausner "probably around March." Quinojosa also reported traffic counts used in the analysis: "10,879 vehicles" through the intersection on the study days, a posted speed limit of 55 mph, and an 80th‑percentile speed of 54 mph; the fastest recorded speed on the sampling day was 76 mph.

Those counts and speeds were central to the council's discussion. Quinojosa described several alternatives analyzed for the Alberta–Klausner junction: a four‑leg signalized intersection, a three‑leg configuration that restricts one crossing movement, a roundabout, and the median option presented to council. The four‑leg signal was not supported by TxDOT because of how close it would be to the flyover and potential queuing into the ramp, Quinojosa said.

A TxDOT representative, Salvador Alvarez, told the council the agency reviewed the three‑leg and median options and found both acceptable. "We have reviewed the 3 legged intersection and the median option. Both options are acceptable to TxDOT," Alvarez said, while cautioning that a full signal could cause northbound queuing into the ramp: "The traffic would back up up into the ramp itself." Alvarez and other TxDOT staff emphasized speed differentials as a core safety concern and said that roundabouts were discarded because the highway geometry and high speeds at the ramp approaches made a roundabout unsafe.

Business owner Carlos Ferreira, who said he is developing a corner near the intersection, urged a roundabout, offering to "donate whatever needs it from my side," and argued a two‑lane roundabout would keep traffic flowing. The council also heard extended public comment from a resident who said temporary flashing warnings and signage had reduced severe crashes after a prior change; the resident pressed for additional supplemental signage and for stronger enforcement of high speeds.

Councilmembers discussed past modeling and local concerns, including reported fatalities at the intersection in previous months and the potential for the new medical center and other development to increase traffic in the corridor. Quinojosa noted the project dates to bonds issued in 2019 and that a warrant study for signalization was completed about a year and a half ago as the design progressed.

After discussion, a councilmember "made a motion to approve the median option." The motion was seconded and carried; the mayor called for the vote and stated "Motion carries." The motion record in the meeting transcript does not list individual roll‑call votes or tallies.

The council’s direction is procedural: staff will implement the median plan that TxDOT has approved, while the three‑leg alternative remains a permitted option. Quinojosa and TxDOT staff told council that the chosen options require TxDOT concurrence because the intersection connects to a state highway and ramps. Council members and staff acknowledged the project is on a tight timeline for upcoming construction phases and that supplemental local signage or temporary measures could be considered while construction continues.

What happens next: the city will proceed with the median option and coordinate with TxDOT on final plans, access details and construction sequencing. Quinojosa said storm‑drain installation and remaining pavement lifts are already underway on adjacent segments and that staff expect to finish the remaining sections in the spring.

Votes and formal action: The council voted to approve the median option; the transcript records the motion, a second, and that the motion "carries". No roll‑call breakdown or numeric tally was given in the meeting record.

Clarifying details from the meeting: project dashboard showed 62% completion; traffic counts used in the design showed 10,879 vehicles at the intersection on survey days; posted speed limit 55 mph; 80th percentile 54 mph; highest observed 76 mph; bonds funding earlier work were issued in 2019; TxDOT approved the median and three‑leg options but did not approve a full four‑leg signal or a roundabout for the current conditions.

Community impact: The decision affects drivers, adjacent businesses and development projects near Alberta Road and Klausner Drive, and requires continued coordination with TxDOT for design, signage, and potential mitigation while nearby development proceeds.