BOERNE — The Texas Department of Transportation plans a series of safety improvements along the SH 46 corridor between SH 16 and Interstate 10, including centerline rumble strips, a four-foot centerline buffer, intersection turn lanes and a barrier at Webster's Corner, according to a presentation delivered to Kendall County commissioners May 26.
TxDOT officials said immediate improvements will begin this summer with the installation of pre-formed centerline rumble strips, additional warning signs and pavement marking upgrades along the corridor.
The highway has been the focus of safety concerns among residents in Kendall and Bandera counties because of a history of serious crashes and fatalities on the winding two-lane roadway.
According to TxDOT data presented to commissioners, SH 46 in Kendall County recorded five fatal crashes and 14 suspected serious injury crashes between 2021 and 2025.
The presentation indicated that 47% of fatal and serious injury crashes were head-on collisions and 42% involved vehicles leaving the roadway. Factors contributing to crashes included speed, impaired or distracted driving and wet-weather conditions.
TxDOT Area Engineer Charles Menendez said vehicle speeds along the corridor exceed the roadway's original design standards.
'Right now, we do know that vehicle travel speeds are exceeding the typical original design speed,' Menendez told commissioners. 'And when we look at the factors that contributed to those crashes, 21% of those were speed related.'
Menendez said the agency also plans to strengthen traffic control measures.
'We want to make sure the signs we have in place — if there's anything we can add to that, we want to add as well — and really highlight the no-passing zones and make sure folks understand that it's not safe to pass anywhere along the corridor given the amount of traffic and the high speeds we have,' he said.
A funded short-term project, expected to be bid in September 2027, includes resurfacing the corridor, adding a fourfoot centerline buffer, constructing turn lanes at several intersections and installing a barrier at Webster's Corner, a curve that has been the site of numerous crashes.
Planned turn-lane improvements include intersections at Coughran Road, Indian Springs Trail, Diamond Ridge, Deep Hollow Drive, Madrona Ranch Road, Bruce Leeder Lane and Latigo Boulevard.
TxDOT's presentation identified Webster's Corner as a location targeted for additional safety measures, including a barrier designed to reduce the likelihood of head-on collisions.
The centerline buffer and barrier improvements are intended to provide greater separation between opposing lanes of traffic.
The SH 46 corridor carries between approximately 10,000 and 20,000 vehicles daily and serves as a key connection between Boerne and Bandera County.
Beyond the short-term improvements, TxDOT has resumed a feasibility study examining long-range options for the 11-mile corridor, which spans approximately seven miles in Kendall County and four miles in Bandera County.
The study will evaluate both a high-speed divided highway alternative and a lower-speed option that could include barriers, curbs and roundabouts.
According to the presentation timeline, the feasibility study began in 2023 and was paused while approximately 60% complete before resuming this summer. TxDOT plans stakeholder meetings with elected officials, emergency services representatives and other community groups later this year, followed by a public open house in winter or spring 2027.
The short-term safety project is expected to be completed within about two years, while development of a long-term expansion plan could take six years or more.
TxDOT officials told commissioners that funding has been identified for the planned short-term improvements.
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