Bell County approves $1.5 million to add turn lanes, design signals on Chaparral Road

Bell County Commissioners Court on Monday amended the county’s FY2024 capital improvement plan to include Chaparral Road improvements and approved funding of up to $1,500,000 from unallocated general‑fund reserves to advance design and initial construction work on the corridor.

The decision follows a lengthy public and commissioner discussion about the project’s scope, timing and best use of county crews versus contracted work. The court’s approved scope focuses on adding turn lanes in two trouble spots near Featherline and the high school and contracting for signal design; the final construction scope and schedule will be set after design.

Why it matters: Commissioners and residents said the stretch of Chaparral Road that serves two large schools and growing subdivisions is seeing increasing congestion and safety risk. Commissioners described the action as a near‑term intervention intended to reduce crash risk and improve traffic flow pending a longer, TxDOT‑led corridor project later in the…