Residents voice concerns about RR 12

HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) - A few hundreds residents in the Dripping Springs area turned out for a town hall meeting Monday night to voice their concerns about Ranch Road 12 .

"As you can tell, frustration is only mounting," said Shari Schmok, an area resident who stood up and addressed the crowd.

Texas Department of Transportation officials were on hand to answer questions concerning the re-paving of the 7-mile stretch between US 290 and Hamilton Pool Road.

Four months ago, TxDOT re-surfaced that roadway and "chip-sealed" it. Since then, residents who drive that road think it's much worse.

"Chip-seal is inherently less, has less traction then the hot-seal road, which is why they used hot seal in the first place," Schmok said.

TxDOT says it's not unsafe, and that 600 miles of roads around Austin have the same type of design. But, TxDOT did admit that this particular road needs work.

"Looking at it, there are some things that we could probably do from a maintenance standpoint," said John Hurt, spokesperson for TxDOT.

Maintenance would have to wait until temperatures get warmer outside. Until then, the road will have noticeable divets, and gravel pieces that are brushed off by TxDOT on nearly a weekly basis.

The divets are only part of the problem for residents.

"It sounds like jets taking off," said Rick Adams, a nearby resident. "And I do not feel they're safer with this type of road surface. It's just not a better surface. It has to be redone."

"This road has deteriorated so much and caused damage to cars and it's not safe," said Christy Vickrey, who owns a daycare business along the road.

"There are people, customers, potential customers, who are actively avoiding driving on this road," she said.

TxDOT says the cost to 'chip-seal' a road is much cheaper than 'hot-sealing' it, which creates a smoother, less poreous surface.

"It is cheaper, but that's the whole idea, to put down this type of course which may cost you
$3 million dollars to do as opposed to an overlay which would cost you $33 million to do," Hurt said.

More than 500 residents have signed a petition, asking that the road be re-paved the way it was. But, that probably won't change things.

"We have to base whatever we do on sound engineering pricicples and decisions. A petition is not something that we can base this type, any type of decision on," Hurt said.