Consultants outline $717 million road program and potential local match; court to refine bond targets

John Polster of Innovative Transportation Solutions (ITS) told the Hood County Commissioners Court on July 11 that ITS and partner firm Tignall had worked from the county’s March master thoroughfare plan to produce a list of candidate road projects and a first‑pass financing picture for a potential bond program. Polster said the initial program estimate was roughly $717,000,000 in construction costs with an estimated $171,000,000 local match; ITS added a 30% contingency to escalated costs to reflect future pricing uncertainty.

Polster reviewed project categories and funding mechanisms, distinguishing on‑system projects (state/federal participation and different match rules) from off‑system projects (local match responsibility). He outlined several candidate projects: intersection improvements along US‑377 (approx. $22M), a reliever/bypass route around Tolar (~$55M total with a county share estimate around $7M), Loop 567 extension (~$70M total), re‑alignment of FM‑167 to a new location, Stroud Creek connection (~$50M total), Mitchell Bend extension (with Brazos River crossing and a local match estimate shown), Misty Meadows (~$10M) and Pecan Plantation South Access (~$35M, recommended for regional toll revenue funds). Polster emphasized project staging and environmental clearance as necessary steps for eligibility and implementation.

Polster explained how federal programs such as STBG and CMAQ can fund elements of an on‑system program and that, when the federal share applies, the state serves as local match at certain stages. He said the program could achieve strong leverage of county funds — characterizing a roughly 4:1 to 5:1 return on local investment in the initial calculation — and that some counties have seen higher leverage by concentrating on on‑system projects.

City of Granbury Deputy City Manager Michael Ross asked the county to consider funding Old Granbury Road in full on behalf of all Hood County residents; Polster and county officials said they would track city commitments and factor them into the spreadsheet. Multiple members of the public asked where materials would be posted; consultants and staff said the presentation, Eide Bailey materials and a comments mailbox have been provided to the county IT department and will be bannered on the county thoroughfare plan page.

Polster outlined next steps: ITS will meet with the TxDOT district engineer and the MPO/TIP staff, run more detailed project‑level cost and local match calculations with county financial staff, and return with refined numbers. The consultant recommended preparing RFQs for engineering services, using phased bond issuances tied to accounting practices recommended for program tracking, and continuing public outreach. The court scheduled follow‑up workshops (July 25 and August 6) and expected ITS back with more detailed finance impacts within two weeks. No formal bond call or vote occurred at the workshop.