LAMPASAS COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — TxDOT has announced a series of public hearings to discuss possible changes to Interstate 14, a corridor that would stretch from Copperas Cove to Lometa.
Watch the full story here:
“Short-term, it’s going to hurt some people. I think long-term, everyone will benefit,” Eddie Bowden, who lives in Lampasas County, said.
Some neighbors in Lampasas are also worried about what those changes could mean for the community.
“The minute they start making some announcement, it affects land values,” Bowden said.
“Make a decision and do something. Get something done, because we do need some relief,” Michael Irvin, who also lives in Lampasas County, added.
“If there’s anything – like Cody’s business is affected, and several businesses could be affected – we just need to be able to prepare. We don’t want them to show up one day with their dirt equipment and start working."
In a fast-growing area, many say it’s inevitable.
“Lampasas is growing. The whole state’s growing, so it’s going to happen,” Irvin said.
“At the end of the day, it’s progress. It’s forward-moving like we talk about all the time,” Bowden said.
This isn’t the first time the topic has come up. Previous proposals are still available online, but it’s unclear if TxDOT will use any of them moving forward.
“I worry about the way we handled the last one, when they were talking about a loop around Lampasas or the bypass. They were asking citizens to look at the maps and tell them where they felt like the loop should be. I saw neighbors against neighbors – pit neighbors against neighbors. People got in arguments about where they thought the best place was. We don’t know. The citizens don’t know the best route,” Bowden said.
TxDOT will host three public meetings in December.
The first is in Lometa on Dec. 1 at Lometa ISD from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The second is in Lampasas on Dec. 2 at Lampasas Middle School from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The final one is in Kempner on Dec. 8 at Taylor Creek Elementary from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
25 News reached out to TxDOT and a spokesperson provided this statement on Nov. 20:
"The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is initiating a route study as part of the long-range planning for the proposed Interstate 14 (I-14) Corridor between the cities of Copperas Cove and Lometa in Lampasas County, Texas. The study will determine the potential location of future I-14 and will be in coordination with ongoing I-14 corridor studies across the state.The building of a new interstate highway system will be a decades-long strategic initiative. The new I-14 Interstate System will enhance connectivity and capacity in the southern United States and improve mobility between urban and rural population centers, military installations, maritime ports, and economic sectors to meet future traffic demands resulting from rapid population growth in Texas.The I-14 System in Texas will be developed through a series of incremental upgrades to bring highways up to interstate standards. While the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provide a general route, the route study will be necessary to further define where the I-14 system will go and potential impacts to US 183, US 190, US 281, and the Lampasas Relief Route Study. This will involve working closely with local communities and stakeholders to determine options."
- Lisa Tipton, Public Information Officer, TxDOT Brownwood District
TxDOT also provided a timeline:
TxDOT said the department is currently working on a route study, which is anticipated to be finished by Spring 2027.
"Once the study is finalized, route options will be developed, and a general preferred route will be identified. This information will allow the Department to prioritize segments for future development as funding becomes available," Lisa Tipton, the Public Information Officer for the Brownwood District, said.
Right now, there is no funding available for construction, Tipton said.
Each segment will require full project development before construction can start, including:
TxDOT added that because these steps are extensive, any construction that occurs will be many years in the future.
LAMPASAS COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — TxDOT has announced a series of public hearings to discuss possible changes to Interstate 14, a corridor that would stretch from Copperas Cove to Lometa.
Watch the full story here:
“Short-term, it’s going to hurt some people. I think long-term, everyone will benefit,” Eddie Bowden, who lives in Lampasas County, said.
Some neighbors in Lampasas are also worried about what those changes could mean for the community.
“The minute they start making some announcement, it affects land values,” Bowden said.
“Make a decision and do something. Get something done, because we do need some relief,” Michael Irvin, who also lives in Lampasas County, added.
“If there’s anything – like Cody’s business is affected, and several businesses could be affected – we just need to be able to prepare. We don’t want them to show up one day with their dirt equipment and start working."
In a fast-growing area, many say it’s inevitable.
“Lampasas is growing. The whole state’s growing, so it’s going to happen,” Irvin said.
“At the end of the day, it’s progress. It’s forward-moving like we talk about all the time,” Bowden said.
This isn’t the first time the topic has come up. Previous proposals are still available online, but it’s unclear if TxDOT will use any of them moving forward.
“I worry about the way we handled the last one, when they were talking about a loop around Lampasas or the bypass. They were asking citizens to look at the maps and tell them where they felt like the loop should be. I saw neighbors against neighbors – pit neighbors against neighbors. People got in arguments about where they thought the best place was. We don’t know. The citizens don’t know the best route,” Bowden said.
TxDOT will host three public meetings in December.
The first is in Lometa on Dec. 1 at Lometa ISD from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The second is in Lampasas on Dec. 2 at Lampasas Middle School from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The final one is in Kempner on Dec. 8 at Taylor Creek Elementary from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
25 News reached out to TxDOT and a spokesperson provided this statement on Nov. 20:
"The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is initiating a route study as part of the long-range planning for the proposed Interstate 14 (I-14) Corridor between the cities of Copperas Cove and Lometa in Lampasas County, Texas. The study will determine the potential location of future I-14 and will be in coordination with ongoing I-14 corridor studies across the state.The building of a new interstate highway system will be a decades-long strategic initiative. The new I-14 Interstate System will enhance connectivity and capacity in the southern United States and improve mobility between urban and rural population centers, military installations, maritime ports, and economic sectors to meet future traffic demands resulting from rapid population growth in Texas.The I-14 System in Texas will be developed through a series of incremental upgrades to bring highways up to interstate standards. While the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provide a general route, the route study will be necessary to further define where the I-14 system will go and potential impacts to US 183, US 190, US 281, and the Lampasas Relief Route Study. This will involve working closely with local communities and stakeholders to determine options."
- Lisa Tipton, Public Information Officer, TxDOT Brownwood District
TxDOT also provided a timeline:
TxDOT said the department is currently working on a route study, which is anticipated to be finished by Spring 2027.
"Once the study is finalized, route options will be developed, and a general preferred route will be identified. This information will allow the Department to prioritize segments for future development as funding becomes available," Lisa Tipton, the Public Information Officer for the Brownwood District, said.
Right now, there is no funding available for construction, Tipton said.
Each segment will require full project development before construction can start, including:
TxDOT added that because these steps are extensive, any construction that occurs will be many years in the future.
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