Title
Hold a public hearing and consider an ordinance establishing a temporary reduced construction speed limit of 55 miles per hour along State Highway 195 (Fort Hood Street) between the Lampasas River and the southern City Limits due to a Texas Department of Transportation construction project.
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DATE: April 15, 2025
TO: Kent Cagle, City Manager
FROM: Andrew Zagars, P.E., City Engineer
SUBJECT: Temporary reduced construction speed limit along State Highway 195 (Fort Hood Street) due to a Texas Department of Transportation construction project.
BACKGROUND AND FINDINGS:
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is currently installing median barriers along State Highway 195 (Fort Hood Street) as a safety construction project. The project is installing permanent barriers to help deter and prevent cross over traffic that has caused accidents in the past. TxDOT recently completed the first phase of the project starting at Chaparral Road and extending south to mile point 11.676.
TxDOT recently informed the City that the second phase of the project will begin late summer of 2025. The second phase begins at mile point 11.676 and extends to Killeen’s southern limit at approximately mile point 13.053, and then into Bell County an additional 3.59 miles.
For this phase, TxDOT is requesting that the City authorize the reduction of the speed limit through the construction limits. TXDOT will also seek approval through the state commission as this is a state highway. As part of this request, they are seeking approval from the City of Killeen. This ordinance will allow the City of Killeen to enforce the temporary speed limit within the construction zone located in city limits.
The Ordinance will set a temporary reduced speed limit of 55 miles per hour through the limit of the construction project within the city limits. The estimated time for the project begins on August 1, 2025, and extends to March 31, 2026. Once this construction is complete the reduced speed limit adopted by this Ordinance will terminate and the original speed limit of 70 miles per hour will be restored.
THE ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED:
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Which alternative is recommended? Why?
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CONFORMITY TO CITY POLICY:
The item complies with all federal, state, and local regulations
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
What is the amount of the revenue/expenditure in the current fiscal year? For future years?
N/A
Is this a one-time or recurring revenue/expenditure?
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Is this revenue/expenditure budgeted?
N/A
If not, where will the money come from?
N/A
Is there a sufficient amount in the budgeted line-item for this revenue/expenditure?
N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the Ordinance as presented to temporarily reduce the speed limit along the construction limits of Hwy 195 (South Fort Hood Street) to 55 mph. The proposed speed limit of 55 mph matches the request by TXDOT for this location along the TXDOT project. This ordinance will allow the City to enforce the temporary speed limit reduction during the time limits of the construction project
DEPARTMENTAL CLEARANCES:
Finance
Purchasing
City Attorney
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
Ordinance
TxDOT Form 1204
Presentation