Residents who want a say in where Interstate 14 and Loop I-214, the planned interstate loop circling Bryan and College Station, could go have until Monday, Oct. 12, to get comments into the official record of the current round of public input.
The Texas Department of Transportation's Bryan District is studying about 125 miles of the planned I-14 Central Texas Corridor across 11 counties, stretching from Rogers, in Bell County, east to Huntsville, in Walker County. The loop is part of the same study because its path is likely to coincide with I-14 locally.
Conceptual alternative routes were unveiled at six open houses in August, including one in Bryan, and the original Sept. 10 deadline was later extended.
A family's concerns
In Robertson County, Charles Myers told KBTX that nearly all of the loop concepts cross land his family has owned for 189 years. He said William Henry, his third-great-grandfather, is buried in a cemetery on the property, and that Henry died in 1849. Myers said the family has sent TxDOT comments about the cemetery and the land's history.
"We're proud of our cemetery. We want to keep it here for another 200 years," he said.
TxDOT's response
Bryan District public engagement specialist Steve Fullhart told KBTX that the route concepts on the maps are roughly a mile wide, while an interstate right of way typically runs 300 to 500 feet.
He said a feature that falls inside a concept area will not necessarily be affected, that TxDOT reviews cemeteries and historic sites as the study goes on, and that the highway could possibly be steered around them when feasible. He urged residents to describe particular features on their land, such as graves or historic markers, when they comment.
