Safety improvements to busy intersection in Marble Falls

MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) — Thursday night, residents in Marble Falls can weigh in on improvements to a busy intersection in the Hill Country.

The Texas Department of Transportation said it wanted to make changes to U.S.-281 and State Highway 71 just south of Marble Falls.

"This is an essential interchange for this region. It serves local and commuter traffic. And it also serves as an important freight corridor for Central Texas," TxDOT spokesperson Kellan Mohrmann said.

What they're proposing is to replace the current cloverleaf interchange with an innovative design known as a turbine interchange. The project also proposes adding new overpasses, frontage roads and shared-use paths to accommodate bicycles and pedestrians.

"What we would expect for the turbine is that it would alleviate some of these points of conflicts, and it eliminates the need to yield when directly connecting between State Highway 71 and US 281 which should allow for more efficient and safer movement of traffic," Mohrmann said.

The in-person meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Marble Falls High School Commons Area.

People unable to make the meeting can still learn more and leave a comment virtually through April 12. The link to details on the project can be found here.