The highway that runs from Oak Hill out to the Marble Falls area and beyond has seen a huge increase in traffic as the area has developed.  The highway was not built for today's traffic and there are some areas of the highway that are very problematic.    One particular stretch is just plain treacherous.  Eleven people have died in auto accidents along that particular section of the highway over the last 18 months.

The most dangerous part of Highway 71 is hilly and full of curves and a major part of the problems is the lack of shoulders and a turn lane.  The part of the highway I am talking about is just west of Bee Creek Road where the highway crosses the valley that Bee Creek has carved through this part of the Hill Country.  This is a stretch of road that has seen people many hydroplane during rain storms.  Some people have just lost control and crossed into oncoming traffic.  What people need to do is simply slow down, but I don't see that happening without a lot of Sheriff or State Highway Patrol cars  with radar guns in the area.

The Lake Travis Independent School District is very supportive of improving this and other parts of Highway 71.  LTISD has lost one student and two staff members on Highway 71 since 2005.  Although the majority of LTISD students don't live west of Bee Creek Road, the number is growing.  One thing I am seeing as a REALTOR is some families no longer looking to buy west of Bee Creek because they don't want their kids driving to and from school or jobs on that part of Highway 71.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will spend around $3 million to improve the highway and make it safer, but this isn't enough.  A longer term fix may be difficult as TxDOT is strapped for cash.  There is hope that the state legislature will take action and make funds available.

Several things are needed on much of Highway 71.  Shoulders are needed all along the highway out to Hwy 281 and continuous turn lanes are needed in many areas.  What TxDOT plans to do in the short term is decrease the speed limit and install concrete barriers around the most unsafe part of the highway to prevent drivers from going into oncoming traffic.

While most people seem supportive of improving Hwy 71, there are some who don't want to see it as they feel that improvements will just add to the traffic and lead to more development in the area.  I personally see growth as being inevitable and support making the road safer.