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Last week, city crews began staking the existing right-of-way on Old Fitzhugh Road in preparation for an improvement project slated to begin sometime in late 2025 or early 2026.
The project area covers Old Fitzhugh Road from Mercer Street to RM 12. It seeks to preserve the rural character of the current street while improving traffic flow, pedestrian access and connectivity, safety, and drainage issues. Old Fitzhugh Road will remain a two-lane road connecting to and complementing the successful improvements made on Mercer Street several years ago. The plan calls for shifting the roadway to the east to enable room for a new eight-footwide shared-use path on the west side of the road. Landscaping, pedestrian amenities, lighting and drainage enhancements, and traffic calming are also important design elements of the project.
The design for the Old Fitzhugh Road Improvement Project is one of four priority projects approved by the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) Board in spring of 2017.
The draft concept plan began in October 2017, and after extensive stakeholder input, the final concept plan was completed in May 2018 and approved by the City Council in August 2018.
Right now, the project is only partially funded, so the construction timeline is contingent on the city securing the full amount. Staff are actively seeking grant and other sources of funding for the remainder of the costs. To date, the project design has been funded with Tax Increment Funds approved by the TIRZ Board and City Council. The Hays County Parks and Open Space Advisory Commission (POSAC) has recommended $1.3 million toward pedestrian facilities.
Once the construction timeline is established, directly affected residents, stakeholders, and other interested parties will be contacted by direct mail and/or email regarding construction and opportunities to provide feedback.
More information can be found on the city’s website at www. cityofdrippingsprings. com.
