Commissioners request TxDOT traffic study after repeated crashes at FM 314 and Highway 64

The Van Zandt County Commissioners Court authorized the county judge to request a Texas Department of Transportation traffic study on the intersection of Farm-to-Market Road 314 and State Highway 64 after commissioners and residents raised safety concerns. A resident, Gary Hayes, told the court he has long supported study of the intersection and called the location a "death trap," citing frequent, serious collisions over decades. "It really needs something because it's a death trap," Hayes said during public comment. A commissioner who lives and works near the intersection described an increase in serious crashes over the last several years and moved that the judge request a formal study from TxDOT; commissioners seconded the motion and approved it by voice vote. County staff said TxDOT has previously conducted studies in other nearby sections and will review crash data and possible countermeasures if the county makes an official request. The court's vote authorizes the county judge to send an official request to TxDOT; the study would be performed by TxDOT and any recommended changes (for example, speed-limit modifications or geometric improvements) would require TxDOT action and, in some cases, additional local coordination.