LAMPASAS COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — TxDOT has announced a series of public hearings to discuss possible changes to Interstate 14, a corridor that would stretch from Copperas Cove to Lometa.
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“Short-term, it’s going to hurt some people. I think long-term, everyone will benefit,” Eddie Bowden, who lives in Lampasas County, said.
Some neighbors in Lampasas are also worried about what those changes could mean for the community.
“The minute they start making some announcement, it affects land values,” Bowden said.
“Make a decision and do something. Get something done, because we do need some relief,” Michael Irvin, who also lives in Lampasas County, added.
“If there’s anything – like Cody’s business is affected, and several businesses could be affected – we just need to be able to prepare. We don’t want them to show up one day with their dirt equipment and start working."
In a fast-growing area, many say it’s inevitable.
“Lampasas is growing. The whole state’s growing, so it’s going to happen,” Irvin said.
“At the end of the day, it’s progress. It’s forward-moving like we talk about all the time,” Bowden said.
This isn’t the first time the topic has come up. Previous proposals are still available online, but it’s unclear if TxDOT will use any of them moving forward.
“I worry about the way we handled the last one, when they were talking about a loop around Lampasas or the bypass. They were asking citizens to look at the maps and tell them where they felt like the loop should be. I saw neighbors against neighbors – pit neighbors against neighbors. People got in arguments about where they thought the best place was. We don’t know. The citizens don’t know the best route,” Bowden said.
TxDOT will host three public meetings in December.
The first is in Lometa on Dec. 1 at Lometa ISD from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The second is in Lampasas on Dec. 2 at Lampasas Middle School from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The final one is in Kempner on Dec. 8 at Taylor Creek Elementary from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
25 News reached out to TxDOT and is waiting on more information.
