If trucks keep coming, so will tickets, says North Texas city urging TxDOT to cooperate

In Reality Check stories, Star-Telegram journalists dig deeper into questions over facts, consequences and accountability. Read more. Story idea? RealityCheck@star-telegram.com.

Driving into Glen Rose just before noon on a warm March day, you can see the water and shoreline at Big Rocks Park packed with families. Just a few hundred feet away, nearly every seat in Shoo-Fly Soda Shop is filled as workers sling ice cream to families looking to cool off. A block over vendors are setting up for a market in the city’s center.

For the North Texas city with a population just short of 3,000, the spring break crowd brings vibrancy and business to their quiet downtown, but city administrator Troy Hill is fixated on an intersection he believes poses a major safety threat to residents and visitors.

From the corner of Elm and Barnard streets, collision after collision nearly occur as rock haulers and semitrucks — almost all from area quarries — attempt to turn onto lanes far too narrow for them. The roads are part of Texas 144, which runs from Granbury to Meridian.

There is no rhythm to the four way stop as the trucks honk at confused drivers, asking to go out of turn or waving their hands to signal to them to reverse or change lanes so they can make the turn.

The issue is worse during spring break, because visitors aren’t familiar with the problem, Hill explained.

In December, the city tried to enforce an ordinance that required trucks to take a route around downtown. It was quickly met with legal threats.

In the months since, the Texas Department of Transportation and nearby quarries haven’t budged on the issue, according to Hill, which he said is forcing his hand.

“We have legal options, obviously we don’t want to do that, but we could pursue it that way, “ Hill said. “At the end of the day we can enforce existing traffic laws if someone is making an unsafe turn. Whether it’s a truck or a car, we will ticket them for making an unsafe turn.

“Does that affect certain types of automobiles or trucks more than others? I guess that’s up to them.”

At the beginning of this year, the city posted signs asking large trucks to take an alternate route around the downtown.

Maintenance crews for the TxDOT assisted in this process, showing them how to mount the signs safely, according to Hill, which he took to mean the state agency was approving their proposed route.

It wasn’t.

TxDOT spokesperson Bethany Kurtz told the Star-Telegram in an email statement that she was unaware of any cooperation between the maintenance crews and the city. The city does not have an ordinance recognized by TxDOT, she said.

“The process for the city to make application for an alternate route has been shared and explained thoroughly, and we await the city’s submittal and request so we may work with them to establish a local ordinance for their community, should they elect to do so,” Kurtz said.

Kurtz added that the department is not overriding any local ordinances and that Glen Rose has not taken the proper steps to begin enforcing an alternate route.

“A communication received from the city administrator late yesterday leads me to believe their submittal may finally be forthcoming. TxDOT staff stands ready to work to expedite the city’s request once it is delivered and partner with, and assist, this local entity with their recently re-initiated request.”

A letter obtained by the Star-Telegram dated Jan. 25 from the Dallas branch of Barnes & Thornburg — the law firm representing an area quarry — said the local ordinance was unlawful and that the proposed truck route was unreasonably longer.

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Barnes & Thornburg did not respond to a request for comment.

The Rogers Group, which manages the nearby quarry and retained Barnes & Thornburg, operates in 10 states and has three facilities in North Texas.

The Rogers Group did not respond to a request for comment.

Quarries are common in Texas because granite, gravel, soil, sand and limestone can be extracted from the land and used for a multitude of materials.

“I knew that we were going to have to push back, because I knew that the lobby from the quarry carries a lot of weight in this state,” Hill said. “I guess the thing that I’m surprised about is the lengths that it feels like our state transportation agency is going to, to keep us from doing the right thing,”

Kutz said that any allegations that the TxDOT is in cahoots with the quarry lobby are “unfounded and inaccurate.”

Hill, who took the job in November, said he does not want the city to end up in a lawsuit, but feels the safety risks outweigh potential legal retaliation.

“I have an obligation to do what’s right for this city,” he said.

Hill is backed by Glen Rose Mayor Joe Boles.

“For me, it’s not intimidating because I try to choose to do what’s right. We take an oath to protect our citizens,” Boles said. “What can they do other than threaten, or spend money or fine us? What we’re doing is right for our citizens but I’m not intimidated one bit with this.”

However, they find themselves at odds with county policymakers.

Some trucks following the signs end up on Somervell County roads.

Wade Bush, a Somervell county commissioner, said he has heard concerns from property and truck companies about the proposed route.

“Our county roads aren’t designed for a lot of truck traffic. There are some, but they’re pretty limited. They get damaged real easily from truck traffic,” Bush said.

However Bush and fellow county commissioner Jeff Harris — who office at the city center — agree the concerns around safety are valid.

“It backs traffic up in that direction, as well as creates kind of a hazard when they turn onto the square, “ Harris said. “There’s just, there’s not much room to work with there.”

Both the county and the city agree that a bypass route being built by the state is likely resolve the issue.

The problem is it won’t be finished for another eight years.

“It’s not necessarily satisfactory the way it is,” Harris said “But, there’s no solution as far as building roads in the near future.”

But for Hill and Boles, they don’t feel they can wait any longer.

“Ultimately, TxDOT should support safety, I think certainly they need to work on moving the bypass that they have planned for 2032 up to 2025,” Hill said. “They could do it. They could do that tomorrow, on a comparative basis to some of the other projects that they move up, this is relatively inexpensive.”