Kendall County urges TxDOT to act after years of crashes on State Highway 46

Kendall County Commissioners Court on April 28 unanimously adopted a resolution asking the Texas Department of Transportation to provide a safety assessment and a prioritized plan to address crashes on State Highway 46 between I‑10 and State Highway 16.

The resolution follows public testimony from residents who said the corridor has seen dozens of crashes and multiple fatalities. "Thirteen people killed, 550 crashes in 10 years on 12 miles of road," said Nikki Dobson, who told the court that her family uses the route daily. "Until there is something physical between opposing lanes of traffic, the crash type that is killing people on this road has not been addressed."

Mental‑health provider and former funeral director Jillian Rodriguez told commissioners that local counselors and first responders are treating trauma and grief from these accidents. Karen Schafer, who lives near a curve known locally as "Dead Man's Curve," described watching a close call and urged temporary mitigation measures while longer‑term fixes are planned.

Commissioners said they have been coordinating with TxDOT on pavement markings, rumble strips, friction treatments and other measures already under way, but residents and some commissioners urged stronger interim actions such as temporary median barriers at high‑risk locations. Commissioner McCall said the intent of the resolution is to put the county's priorities on record and to convene a joint meeting with TxDOT and local stakeholders. The resolution asks TxDOT for an assessment emphasizing high‑crash locations, access management and intersection operations, plus estimated costs and timelines for short‑, intermediate‑ and long‑term plans.

Commissioners also discussed engaging state legislators to help prioritize the corridor. The court voted to adopt the resolution and to pursue a follow‑up consent agenda item to extend the request to the county’s entire stretch of Highway 46.

The next steps outlined in the resolution include a joint meeting with TxDOT as soon as practicable and a public meeting to solicit input from local stakeholders, including emergency services and school officials. The court directs staff to provide the signed resolution to TxDOT and to coordinate future stakeholder meetings as requested.