The Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office announced construction and changes to traffic flow along U.S. 87 North in anticipation of construction projects scheduled on the highway. The construction is expected to last until Aug. 31 and affect north and southbound lanes.
The Speed Limit signs along U.S. 87 North have been decreased to 55 mph to 70 mph. These signs are in the same locations as before.
The 55 mph speed limit will be enforced even if there is no road construction.
“We are asking for patience and lower speeds during the construction to assure the safety of the road workers while they are working,” wrote Sheriff Chris Ayala in a social media post. “I drive this road every day and I agree it is a bit of a pain and inconvenience. The end result will be a better road for travel.”
The stop lights located just North of FM 2323 on U.S. 87 North will also change.
These lights will cycle differently than intersection lights.The average wait time based on traffic observed by the GCSO on Monday, May 18, was 5-10 minutes. These times can increase during busier traffic during the week.
This time will be average, as long as no one disregards the red light.
“Please do not run the red lights assuming it is not working properly. When that happens it causes the system to keep the north or south bound traffic from moving a bit longer,” stated Ayala. “I observed the lights today Monday, May 18 for about an hour and the lights worked as programmed. I went through six cycles and the lights worked as they should. My longest wait time was eight minutes and 44 seconds.”
Ayala asked travelers to be especially cautious on the turn from FM 648 attempting to U.S. 87 North.
“Pay close attention to the yellow arrow indicators at this intersection. Remember the Flashing Yellow Arrows still mean you must yield the right of way to HWY 87 Traffic. You may enter into traffic only when it is safe to do so,” he wrote.
The Sheriff’s Office asks commuters to leave early and or adjust travel routes into town based on the road construction.
Go to drivetexas.org to check for road construction in the Gillespie County area.
