High-speed highway sees more travelers

Dalondo Moultrie The Seguin Gazette

While society as a whole creeps out of the grips of the ongoing pandemic, traffic on a stretch of toll road in Guadalupe County and beyond continues to speed full steam ahead.

Traffic along the southern stretch of Texas’ State Highway 130 — road with the highest speed limit in the country — has increased dramatically the last couple years, according to a report released by SH 130 Concession Company.

“More drivers are choosing SH 130 than ever before because it provides the only high-speed alternative to I-35 between two of the nation’s fastest growing metro areas — and it’s safe, predictable and enjoyable to drive,” said Doug Wilson, CEO of SH 130 Concession Company, the private firm that operates and maintains the southern section of the state-owned highway.

The company recorded more than 9.7 million transaction on the road in 2021, company officials said. The total was a 3.7-million increase over the previous year, report showed.

SH 130 Concession Company suggested the increase was fueled by a combination of a gradual recovery from the pandemic, population growth and increased development along the corridor.

The increase doesn’t appear to be merely a function of fewer people traveling the roads in 2020 amid the height of pandemic-related shutdowns. In fact, more people traveled the highway in 2021 than in 2019, officials said.

Traffic was up by 2 million transactions or more than 25% when comparing 2021 to 2019 numbers, SH 130 Concession Company said.

An overall increase of passenger and heavy truck traffic combined for a 62% year-over-year increase in total traffic from 2020 to 2021, those officials said.

“At the same time, the SH 130 corridor has quickly grown to become the epicenter of development in Central Texas, attracting more local heavy truck and passenger traffic,” Wilson said. “With Tesla recently opening its manufacturing facility on the corridor and a massive new Samsung facility on the horizon, we expect these developments and traffic trends along this corridor to continue.”

So far, despite an increase in traffic, the corridor has improved safety-wise, according to the report. It showed that the number of accidents decreased to 34 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled on the road. It amounted to about a 13% decrease and the best safety report on SH 130 since 2018, officials said.

SH 130 Concession Company maintains the 41-mile stretch of the tollway from Seguin to Mustang Ridge. It offers a speed limit of 85 mph.

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