Its a bit of heaven on Earth so please don't drive like hell through it

Many years ago when I was in San Antonio clerking for a law firm for the Summer I discovered the delightful road that is the subject of the article.

What a thing of beauty to drive, I enjoyed the scenery as well as the drive.  Always mindful of its twists and turns.

Later, after moving to the area I would occasionally ride my motorcycle out there or take my children to see to view in my car.

Please be careful folks.  Its beautiful but drive responsibly.

TxDOT looks to make Texas 16 safer

By Tim Sampson - The Daily Times

Local drivers who’ve ever driven from Kerrville to Bandera along Texas 16 know it can be a tricky road to travel. It can be even more dangerous to those coming from outside the area.

That’s why the Texas Department of Transportation is looking to add enhanced safety features along the highway, from Upper Turtle Creek Road to the Bandera County line. A public meeting is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Upper Turtle Creek Volunteer Fire Department, 651 Upper Turtle Creek Road, to discuss the proposed changes and hear suggestions from residents.

“It’s no secret that road can be dangerous, especially if you’ve never traveled it before,” said Mike Boyd, transportation engineer for TxDOT.

In the last 10 years, there have been roughly 65 accidents, Boyd said. That number is unusually high for a rural road traveled as infrequently as the southern portion of Texas 16. The decision to update safety features on the road was prompted particularly by the number of motorcycle accidents that have occurred in recent years.

“About four years ago we saw an uptick in the number of motorcycle accidents as this became a more popular area for out-of-towners to come riding,” he said.

There won’t be any change to the size of the road, which will remain two lanes. Most of the upgrades will be to pavement markings, highway signs and guardrails. Many drainage ditches will have safety rails installed as well. Boyd said the project likely will begin in the winter or spring of 2011 and be completed in about four months. Because many of the upgrades will take place off to the side of the road, Boyd said the interference to drivers should be minimal during that time.

The purpose of the meeting is to answer specific questions from residents and to hear suggestions on parts of the road that could be enhanced for safety during the project.

“These are the folks who drive the road every day,” Boyd said. “They can best tell us how to improve it.”