Because of serious accidents, some of which have resulted in hospitalizations, “No U-turn” signs will soon be installed on Texas 46 between Truss Drive and Worth Drive at the request of Kendall County Commissioners Court.
Between 2021 and 2024, six accidents involving U-turns were recorded at the intersection, according to Lt. Jon Rutledge of the Kendall County Sheriff’s Department.
He told commissioners during their Oct. 28 meeting that four of those accidents resulted in “major and minor injuries” requiring various levels of medical care and hospitalization.
The court voted unanimously to request the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to install the signs.
Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk and Precinct 2 Commissioner Andra Wisian said they met with TxDOT officials seeking ways to mitigate the situation.
Wisian said conversations with TxDOT included potential adjustments to Truss Drive to help channel motorists onto Worth Drive, thus reducing or eliminating the number of U-turns.
Stolarczyk said the county was “looking for a low-cost alternative” besides those that involve construction, to help bring attention to the potential dangers of that stretch of road.
Rutledge said drivers coming out of Truss Drive want to make a U-turn to head west, back into Boerne.
There is currently a triangle- shaped median where Truss Drive intersects Texas 46. This puts drivers at an easterly angle when approaching the intersection, requiring them to execute a more circuitous left turn. Worth Drive has no such median at its intersection with Texas 46.
Consequently, a driver turning left (westward) into Boerne makes a more typical left turn, which can be executed more simply and quickly.
Businesses on Truss and Worth drives include Indulge Wine Bar, Darkside Brick Oven Pizza, Arrows Active Play Park, World Karate, Weston Dean Custom Homes and the Encino Loma business park.
Rutledge characterized the amount of traffic for that stretch of Texas 46 as “surprising” and “massive.” He spearheaded a traffic study Oct. 4-10 that logged more than 39,000 vehicles traversing that stretch of Texas 46.
The speed limit is 65 mph on that portion of Texas 46. Surprisingly, Rutledge said, the average speed they clocked during the study was 55 mph. He said drivers trying to turn left onto Texas 46 to head back into Boerne fail to consider the potential speed of oncoming traffic and do not realize it’s a bad idea to try to negotiate that U-turn.
“Drivers will probably still U-turn coming off Truss Drive,” Rutledge said. But having the signs in place, he and Wisian agreed, will enable officers to issue citations and to enforce the new standard, thus mitigating accidents.
“These signs are a good first step,” said County Engineer Mary Schulle. She said the uptick in accidents coincided with the construction of the business park.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Richard Chapman said TxDOT does not usually ask permission from the county to put signage on state roads and highways. Rutledge pointed out that since TxDOT was not required to put such signage on the road, it looked to the commissioners to take the initiative in making the request.
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