Every day, about 5,000 cars drive on the northern segment of Blanco Road in Comal County near Bulverde.
But the region is experiencing historic growth, and in 15 years, that number could quadruple to 20,000 cars on the two-lane road.
Comal County is working on ways to improve the six miles of Blanco Road from SH46 south to the Bexar County line.
San Antonio engineering firm Poznecki-Camarillo LLC is doing a feasibility study for the road improvements.
Comal County Commissioner Scott Haag said that a revamped Blanco Road could relieve congestion on roads like FM3351.
“This really needs to happen,” Haag said. “One of the biggest issues it’s going to help us with is the Cibolo Creek Crossing.”
The project could cost at least $80 million.
President and CEO Fernando Camarillo said his engineering firm will have more precise construction cost estimates once they know dimensions for bridges and intersections.
The section of Blanco Road is currently one lane in either direction.
Poznecki-Camarillo recommends expanding to two lanes in either direction, with either a grassy median or a center turn lane.
Pedestrian sidewalks and bike paths would likely be included.
The project’s southern end from East Amman Road to the Comal-Bexar county line abuts Camp Bullis.
That jurisdiction may impact roadwork with constraints for environmental protections and flight paths.
Bexar County is working on its own improvements to Blanco Road, and Comal officials want to collaborate where those projects intersect.
“We want to maintain local access for property owners, so that we’re not cutting anybody off,” Camarillo said. “We also don’t want to add anybody to the floodplain.”
The engineering firm will now proceed with studying environmental and right-of-way impacts of the proposed project.
“This is going to be an important connector out there for us,” said Comal County Commissioner Kevin Webb. “It parallels some other roadways that are just overwhelmed already, even as fast as we can expand them.”
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