The Gazette-Enterprise

GUADALUPE COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation officials will recommend lowering the speed limit on State Highway 123 south of Seguin to 65 mph in an effort to make the road a little safer.

TxDOT Area Engineer Greg Malatek and Director of Traffic Operations Rick Castaneda updated commissioners Tuesday on a list of safety enhancements either proposed or already under way on the corridor that stretches from San Marcos to Stockdale.

Last spring, state planners reduced speed limits on SH 123 between Seguin and San Marcos and proposed a series of left turn lanes and traffic signals in an effort to improve safety on the state artery.

The spring meetings were requested by county officials in the wake of concerns raised in a rear-ender accident on SH 123 at Ridge Road last Jan. 9 in which Samantha Ibarra lost her life after her car was reportedly struck from behind and pushed into the path of a southbound dump truck.

Ibarra’s family and area residents raised questions about safety along the road, and commissioners asked TxDOT to address the issue — even though major improvements such as additional lanes or a road realignment are not slated for at least two decades.

In May, local transportation planners recommended turn lanes and reduced speed limits north of Seguin, and Castaneda said Tuesday a similar recommendation would be made for the 18-mile stretch south of Seguin in Guadalupe County and the remainder in Wilson County down to where speed limits are reduced to 55 mph just north of Stockdale.

As part of the recommended improvements, work could begin in January, 2010 on a dedicated left turn lane at Zion Hill Road, and similar projects will be considered at Fox Trotter Road and at other crossings in Wilson County in safety recommendations that could be made before the end of the year.

Over the past three years, Castaneda said, the stretch has averaged 59 major accidents.

“Our recommendation will be lowering the speed limit from 70 mph to 65 mph based primarily on accident history,” Castaneda told commissioners.

To be enacted, a changed speed limit must be approved by the Texas Transportation Commission, which approved a similar lowering of speeds north of Seguin last May.

Other work north of Seguin in the planning pipeline for the near future includes traffic signals at FM 1978 and Cordova Road, a flashing light at FM 20 and dedicated turn lanes from FM 1978 to FM 1979, for FM 1339, and from Cordova and Laubach roads to FM 20.

No work is planned for the Ridge Road intersection where Ibarra died. Members of her family and others had requested a traffic signal in place of the flashing yellow light now located at the intersection, but a pair of traffic studies has shown that the intersection does not meet state and federal warrants for a signal, Castaneda said.

Precinct 2 Commissioner Cesareo Guadarrama III asked Castaneda to explain what the requirements are, and the TxDOT official said there basically wasn’t enough traffic on Ridge Road to justify the light.

What he proposed instead was hanging a second, more noticeable flashing light at the intersection.

Back in the spring, area residents had asked about possibly carving down a hill at Ridge Road to lower SH 123 to improve sight distances, but state officials said the project would cost well north of $1 million and that no funding exists.

Guadarrama asked the state officials whether they had considered that issue.

Malatek said that accidents at the intersection hadn’t appeared to be a result of the sight distance, and there was no funding available at the state level for such a project.

Malatek said it would be possible for TxDOT and the county to work jointly to improve the intersection, but for one problem.

“If we worked with the county, could we do something with Ridge Road? Could it be raised up?” Malatek asked. “The problem is Ridge Road is a private road.”

Guadarrama noted there had been efforts in the past to work with the owner of Ridge Road that had so far not come to fruition.

“The issue here is safety, and I’ll look into it,” Guadarrama said.

Malatek said TxDOT was open to discussing issues pertaining to safety.

“That’s something we would like to work with the county on,” Malatek said.

Samantha Ibarra’s family sat in court Tuesday while TxDOT briefed commissioners. Her sister, Josefina, has spearheaded an effort to raise awareness of problems on SH 123.

She thanked TxDOT and county commissioners for their consideration.

Her father, Juan Ibarra, said he believed the lowered speed limits had reduced accidents north of Seguin.

“I can see there are a lot less accidents,” Ibarra said. “They’re talking about budgets, the money isn’t enough, and I can see the speed limit lowered between FM 1978 and FM 1979 would be safer, too.”

“We really appreciate the lowered speed limits,” agreed his wife, Maria Ibarra.

County Judge Mike Wiggins praised TxDOT officials for what he said is a new spirit of cooperation in the San Antonio District Office and much improved communications between state transportation planners and local officials.

“There’s definitely an improved line of communication between TxDOT and us,” Wiggins said. “It’s been very noticed and very appreciated, and I want to thank you both and ask you to thank (District Engineer) Mario Medina

for us.”

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