County throws support behind FM 3351 expansion
Rapid growth in Kendall County, and all points along Interstate 10 north of San Antonio, has led to congestion on just about every major highway, and State Highway 46 has proved to be no exception.
The Kendall County Commissioners Court, at its Sept. 25 meeting, threw its support behind a Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) plan to widen FM 3351 from Interstate 10 in San Antonio to Highway 46 at Bergheim, in Kendall County.
TxDOT’s FM 3351 project team is currently identifying potential concepts for FM 3351 including the number of lanes, and consideration of bicycle and pedestrian accommodations based on traffic, safety and local access needs. This process is expected to take about 24 months.
During Monday’s meeting, County Commissioner Andra Woisin addressed the need to widen 3351 and lauded the county’s continued support for using existing roadways, instead of attempting to acquire private property to build new roadways.
A county thoroughfare planning citizens committee, established in 2007, recommended the court approve a report to designate FM 3351 as an arterial, Woisin said, “and that the court aggressively work with TxDOT, the city of Sn Antonio and (the Metropolitan Planning Organization) to ensure everyone would be on the same page with the planning.”
That includes development of existing roads, relying heavily on rights-of-way already in TxDOT’s possession.
She said that report issued by the 2007-2009 transportation study emphasized “using existing major highways and enhancing those existing roads. Our county’s citizens are very supportive of using existing highways, rather than constructing new greenfield roads across some 26 miles of private property affecting nearly 1,000 residents.”
FM 3351 exits I-10 at the Ralph Fair Road exit, just north of the Leon Springs area. 3351 enters Fair Oaks Ranch about a half-mile south of Pimlico Lane and passes through the city for about 3.3 miles before exiting the city limits just south of Ammann Road.
FM 3351 crosses into Kendall County just south of Silver Hills Drive for about 3.5 miles to its intersection with FM 46 at Bergheim.
“We’ve had a population explosion. Kendall County is the fifth fastest growing county in the nation (with) 20 percent growth in the county in just the past five years,” she said.
Commissioners Woisin and Ralph Chapman attended a meeting in August to begin dialogue about expanding FM 3351, with representatives from San Antonio, Bexar County, TxDOT, and the MPO.
Work has already started on that road, she said, explaining how 3351’s T intersection with I-10 near Old Fredericksburg Road is going to be severed, “and traffic from Fredericksburg will have to northbound on Old Fred and then get on the interstate at a different access point that’s already been built.”
Existing right of way along FM 3351 ranges from 78 feet to 160 feet. TxDOT is studying the potential for additional travel lanes, bike lanes and pedestrian paths. The project team is coordinating closely with representatives from Camp Stanley to avoid disruptions to the military mission of the installation.
County Judge Shane Stolarczyk read the resolution, which “supports TxDOT to perform all project development activities including environmental studies, schematic design, public involvement efforts, and additional right-of-way needs to add additional capacity to FM 3351.”
Precinct 1 Commissioner Christina Bergmann said with the amount of growth and development slated for that area, expansion of 3351 was imminent.
“I think that with everything that’s been slated in that area, it is going to only grow more congested,” Bergmann said. “I appreciate being proactive in working with TxDOT to try to improve that area before it gets overly congested.”
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