Support continues to grow for planned safety improvements along Texas 46 West, with a national motorcycle safety organization and State Rep. Wes Virdell both urging the Texas Department of Transportation to move quickly on the project.
In separate letters sent within days of each other to TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and Virdell called for the immediate implementation of planned safety upgrades on Texas 46 between State Highway 16 in Bandera County and Interstate 10 in Boerne.
The proposed improvements include a 4-foot centerline buffer, centerline rumble strips and Jersey barriers at Webster's Corner, a stretch of highway that has been the site of numerous serious, even fatal, crashes.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation, a national nonprofit organization sponsored by major motorcycle manufacturers including BMW, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha, said the corridor is heavily traveled by motorcyclists and other motorists.
'The safety concerns on this route are well documented,' Scott P. Schloegel, the foundation's senior vice president of government relations, wrote in the June 30 letter. 'For motorcyclists in particular, roadway design, visibility, and unpredictable behavior by car drivers have a direct impact on crash avoidance and injury severity.'
The organization cited TxDOT crash data showing 244 crashes on the corridor between 2021 and 2025, including six fatal crashes.
It said the proposed improvements are consistent with accepted roadway safety strategies and would provide additional protection at high-risk locations.
'MSF, as the country's leading safety resource and advocate for motorcyclist safety, respectfully urges that these improvements be implemented as quickly as possible in the interest of all road users, including motorcyclists,' Schloegel wrote.
The following day, Virdell sent his own letter to Williams voicing support for the project on behalf of House District 53 residents.
'This corridor is one of the most heavily traveled roadways in the Texas Hill Country and serves residents, commuters, emergency responders, tourists, and thousands of motorcyclists who travel this route each year,' Virdell wrote. 'Unfortunately, the crash history on this stretch of highway demonstrates an urgent and unacceptable public safety concern.'
Virdell described the proposed improvements as 'lifesaving interventions' and said they should be prioritized.
'The proposed improvements — including a fourfoot centerline buffer, centerline rumble strips, and Jersey barriers at Webster's Corner — represent practical, proven measures that will significantly enhance safety for all users of this roadway,' Virdell wrote. 'These improvements are not merely transportation upgrades; they are lifesaving interventions.'
The representative said he has heard directly from constituents, local officials, first responders and members of the motorcycling community who have advocated for safety improvements along the highway.
'I respectfully urge the Texas Department of Transportation to prioritize and expedite these improvements and any additional repairs necessary to address hazardous conditions along this corridor,' Virdell wrote. 'Protecting the traveling public must remain our highest priority, and immediate action on SH 46 is both warranted and necessary.'
The latest endorsements add to a growing list of local governments and organizations backing the project. Earlier this year, Bandera County, Kendall County and the Boerne Independent School District each approved resolutions supporting the safety improvements.
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