Hays County voters will have the chance to vote on a $440 million bond this November to build and improve roadways throughout the county.
The region is expected to more than double in population by 2045, according to data from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. Most of the projects that would be paid for with the bond are intended to decrease congestion on roads leading to I-35. About two dozen road plans are near Kyle and Buda, where big transportation projects are already underway.
The City of Kyle broke ground Tuesday on the first of eight projects funded by a road bond voters passed in 2022, a separate citywide initiative to improve connectivity and congestion.
Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett said these road projects will also help the department keep up with emergency response times.
Some of the plans going before voters this fall overlap with projects funded by Kyle's bond, like on Bunton Creek and Windy Hill roads.
The $294 million Kyle Road Bond voters passed in 2022 is funding several road improvements and new construction projects. There is some overlap between these projects and those proposed in the Hays County road bond.
Hays County is asking voters to approve a $440 million road bond to pay for 31 projects across the area.
David Kirtley said he was excited to see this first project breaking ground near his house. The 0.6-mile section of roadway will connect Marketplace Avenue to FM 1626 and will allow Kirtley to ride a bike to run errands.
"The H-E-B here is the big grocery store that everybody goes to," he said. "It's close enough that you could ride a bike, but you would have to ride along FM 1626, which is a really busy road."
The new road will also include a paved trail segment that will connect to The Vybe, a citywide trail system. The path will be illuminated and ADA-accessible.
Kirtley said he's excited about the construction projects cropping up across the city and is in favor of the road bond on the ballot in November.
"I do think we need to improve and expand the roads to be able to accommodate the levels of traffic that we already have," he said.
The 2022 Kyle Road Bond, which totals $294 million, will fund two more road projects that will break ground next year. Seven more are scheduled to break ground in 2026 and two more in 2027, according to Kyle's Mayor, Travis Mitchell.