When did this study end?
The Texas Department of Transportation conducted the New Braunfels Outer Loop Study from April 2007 to July 2008. This website was established to provide information to the public throughout the study. It now serves as a legacy website documenting the efforts undertaken for the New Braunfels Outer Loop Study. For a complete overview, please see the Study Overview page.
Who conducted this study?
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) San Antonio District (SAT) conducted the New Braunfels Outer Loop Study with assistance from a team of consultants.
Where was the study area?
The study area was approximately a 40-mile band around the City of New Braunfels that encompassed portions of Comal and Guadalupe Counties. The outer loop could require at least two new crossings over the Guadalupe River and could connect to IH 35 on the north side of New Braunfels and to IH 35 on the south side of New Braunfels.
What was the purpose of the study?
The purpose of the study was to conduct the necessary planning and analysis needed to identify a corridor for the possible development of a New Braunfels Outer Loop. New Braunfels is seeing significant growth and the identification of a recommended corridor would give the city a tool to preserve the land (right-of-way) needed before the land is developed for residential or commercial use.
The study sought to:
- Identify a potential corridor for land (right-of-way) preservation.
- Identify portions of the loop which could be constructed as stand alone projects.
- Follow NEPA guidelines to ensure information collected could be used for the development of future environmental documents for the portions of the independent utility.
Where did the outer loop concept originate?
The concept for an outer loop was first identified on the City of New Braunfels Major Street Plan in 1964 with revisions and updates to the outer loop alignment on the City’s Thoroughfare Master Plan in 1999 and in the City’s Thoroughfare Plan of 2003 and 2005. TxDOT initiated the New Braunfels Outer Loop Study to help the City of New Braunfels, Comal County, and Guadalupe County further refine a route location so they can plan appropriately as properties are developed.
My house is within the study area. Does that mean someone is going to purchase my land?
No. This was a preliminary planning effort to identify a corridor for the potential development of the proposed outer loop. TxDOT has no funding for the acquisition of right-of-way or for further development of the outer loop concept. This study was undertaken to help the local jurisdictions plan for future growth in the area and identify a corridor for right-of-way preservation. Further, this corridor identifies an area that is approximately 800 ft wide. The final location of the proposed outer loop has yet to be determined. The proposed outer loop is a long term project and will likely take many years (up to 30+ years) and several additional studies, both technical and environmental, before it ever comes to fruition. Further, the No-Build, or do nothing option, is still a possibility as there is no identified funding for the proposed outer loop.
When will the improvements recommended by this study be built?
Currently, there are no funds available for construction of the outer loop.
Will the proposed outer loop be funded through the use of driver-paid tolls?
TxDOT is generally incorporating toll financing as a method of funding roads. However, in order to qualify for toll financing, a roadway must meet several criteria. At this point in time, TxDOT has an agreement with Comal County preventing the use of toll financing in the county. As a result, TxDOT has no plans to study the feasibility of utilizing toll financing to build the outer loop.
In fact, TxDOT has no funding plan in place for the corridor outlined by the New Braunfels Outer Loop Study. This study was conducted as a planning exercise to provide guidance to local platting authorities wishing to include an outer loop in their Major Thoroughfare Plans (MTPs). This study was not conducted with the intent of building an outer loop as additional environmental studies would need to take place before TxDOT could proceed with any construction plans.
When will complete environmental studies be performed for the proposed outer loop?
Complete environmental studies, in the form of an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement, have not yet been performed for the New Braunfels Outer Loop. In fact, the New Braunfels Outer Loop Study was never intended to produce an environmental document but was instead a very preliminary study to identify a general corridor for the proposed outer loop. The proposed outer loop is a long term project and will likely take many years and several additional studies, both technical and environmental, for various portions of the loop before it ever comes to fruition. Further, the No-Build, or do nothing option, is still a possibility as there is no identified funding for the proposed outer loop.
Will the proposed outer loop be designated as a hazardous materials route?
The New Braunfels Outer Loop Study was a preliminary study to identify a general corridor for the proposed outer loop. As such, it will in no way propose any such designation for a roadway which may or may not be built. A hazardous materials route, or a Non-Radioactive Hazardous Materials (NHRM) Route, is typically established by the local jurisdiction on an existing roadway. It is too early in the planning process to know whether or not the loop would ever be designated as a hazardous materials route by any of the local jurisdictions once it is constructed. Further, this designation would need to follow a process established by federal regulations and eventually undergo TxDOT review and approval. For more information on the NRHM Route designation process, visit the TxDOT website at:
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/services/traffic_operations/non_radioactive_routing.htmWhy is TxDOT recommending a six lane facility for our community when the projected population for our community does not appear to support the need for a facility of this size?
During the course of this preliminary study, TxDOT staff and consultants along with input from the local community at public meetings and members of the community and technical work groups identified a proposed facility type. The purpose of identifying a facility type was to develop a corridor width which would be utilized during the course of this study. For the purposes of this preliminary planning effort, an Expressway 1 (approximately 450 ft of right-of-way) and Expressway 2 (approximately 250 ft of right-of-way) were utilized to develop the proposed corridor width of 800 ft which was then used during the development of corridor options. That said, this preliminary recommendation of a facility type does not mean that the ultimate roadway, if constructed, would be a six lane facility. Future studies could very well determine that a different facility type is better suited for the proposed outer loop. Future studies could even determine that a No-Build, or do nothing option, is preferred over the option to build the outer loop. Most likely, the loop will be phased in as the need arises along various portions of the corridor identified by this study. The number of lanes, width, and other characteristics will be largely driven by the funding mechanism used to build each portion of the loop. Further, the entire loop will probably not be completed all at once but will rather result from a series of independent relief route projects built within an identified outer loop corridor.
Is the loop being proposed to help re-route truck traffic to avoid San Antonio?
No. The need for the proposed outer loop is based on the growth and development of the City of New Braunfels, Comal County, and Guadalupe County. It is meant to provide an alternate route between the various “spokes” or roadway arterials that run through the city including IH 35, SH 46, FM 306, FM 2722, FM 1102, FM 1101, FM 725, FM 1044, and FM 1863. The goal is to allow traffic wishing to travel north or south on IH 35 a way to access the interstate without causing congestion in the Central Business District of the City of New Braunfels. Evidence of the impact growth in the area is having on the local transportation network can be seen on roadways such as SH 46 and FM 306. While improvements are planned for both of these roadways, the need for additional roadway improvements and relief routes is anticipated in order to meet the demand of the projected population in the year 2035.
