I-14 in Texas

[splashflash]

The candidate site for the SpaceX Terafab at the Gibbons Creek Reservoir is located near the potential alignments for I-14 and I-214. It is also very close to the proposed high speed rail station.

I marked the candidate site on the latest map of feasible I-14 corridors, and added the Texas High Speed Rail alignment.

Public hearing announcement

If this candidate site is selected and the Terafab project moves forward, it would probably expedite parts of the I-14 project, especially the east loop I-214.

Full size map


The area xxiues are on board.

https://wtaw.com/resolutions-for-continued-support-of-interstate-14-before-the-bryan-and-college-station-city-councils/

[abqtraveler]

TxDot is building those tall night lights along I-14 in Killeen. The same ones that are along I-35 from Georgetown to San Marcos.

TxDOT really likes their high-mast lighting. They just installed a whole bunch of high-mast light fixtures on I-40 through Amarillo.

[-- US 175 --]

TxDot is building those tall night lights along I-14 in Killeen. The same ones that are along I-35 from Georgetown to San Marcos.

TxDOT really likes their high-mast lighting. They just installed a whole bunch of high-mast light fixtures on I-40 through Amarillo.

They've just had a couple at the I-27/I-40 interchange previously.  Hope the poles were placed securely -- the wind up there is no joke.

[Great Lakes Roads]

I-14 Route Study from Copperas Cove to Lometa

Following public comments and local stakeholder feedback, TxDOT reviewed the route concepts and narrowed them down two preliminary alternatives to be carried forward in the study, shown in this slide. Both alternatives begin slightly west of County Road 4808 on US 190 and continue westward until going north, just outside of the city limits of Lampasas. Alternative 1 represented in orange, goes slightly north of Lampasas, crossing the railroad and East Avenue J before curving west to cross US 281, just south of the airport. From there, the route connects with US 183. Alternative 2, highlighted in blue, curves north to cross the railroad, East Avenue J, County Road 3420, and County Road 3421 before curving west to cross US 281 near Little Lucy Creek, north of the airport. From there, the route curves southwest to cross County Road 2200, County Road 2001, and the railroad to connect with US 183. After connecting with US 183, both Alternatives follow existing US 183 to the project terminus at Lometa. Alternative 1 is 30.5 miles long, and Alternative 2 is 31.5 miles long.

[splashflash]

I-14 Central Texas Corridor Study
Open house public meetings with a virtual option - 3rd meeting
Virtual: Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. through Sept. 10, 2026

https://www.txdot.gov/projects/hearings-meetings/bryan/2026/i14-central-texas-corridor-study-081126.html

Meeting materials can be viewed online starting at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026.

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.txdot.gov/projects/hearings-meetings/waco/2026/i14-extension-080526.html

The I-35 improvements in Bell County stretch eight miles from south of Loop 121 in Belton to Loop 363/US 190/SH 36 in Temple. The proposed improvements include: improving the I-14/US 190/I-35 system interchanges; widening I-35 in Segment 1; and improving overall safety, connectivity and mobility. Currently, the existing typical section along this corridor of I-35 includes three general-purpose lanes and two frontage road lanes in each direction; the proposed typical section would include, in each direction, an additional general-purpose lane for a total of four general-purpose lanes, two express lanes, two to three through lanes and a shared-use path. Segment 1 is part of a larger project that will extend I-14 from its current terminus in Belton to BU 190 in Rogers, comprising a total of three segments.

I-35 will go from 3x3 to 4x2x2x4 (I believe the original plans was more ambitious at 4x3x3x4)...

[MaxConcrete]

Schematics and presentations are posted on the meeting site.

Observations

• The project has been downsized to lessen impacts and the right-of-way requirement. Typical ROW width is reduced from 500 feet to 470 feet. Required ROW is reduced by 26 acres, which is a 15% reduction.
• The I-35 express lanes are reduced from 6 to 4. However, at least one extra regular lane is added in most of the length, mainly in the northbound/eastbound direction. For about 2.2 miles east of the west interchange at I-14 the project is 5-2-2-6, with 6 lanes northbound/eastbound. So there's generally a net loss of only one lane.
• In the previous design there were connections between I-14 and the I-35 express lanes at the west interchange. These are gone. Now all three lanes of eastbound I-14 merge into the I-35 regular lanes, necessitating the sixth lane mentioned above. For the previous public meeting I submitted a public comment about having express lane connections at the west interchange but not the east. (Why not both west and east?) It turns out they got rid of the west connection.
• There are new connections to Central Avenue to improve access to downtown Belton, including a long exit ramp over 6th Avenue in the southbound/westbound westbound direction, and a new loop connector and "jug handle" in the northbound/eastbound direction.
• At the east I-14 interchange, radius of ramps is reduced to reduce ROW requirement. They still appear to be at least 55mph ramps.
• Some exits are more logical now. For example, in the previous design going eastbound/northbound at the east I-14 interchange, the inner two lanes exited to I-14. In the new design, the outer 2 lanes exit to I-14.

Even with the downsizing, this is still a very impressive project. It appears to be nearly fully funded in the UTP, but I think ROW clearance will take years.

[Plutonic Panda]

That's a better update. I really like to see highways built as large as possible. Hopefully they stick with this iteration and don't further downsize it.

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.txdot.gov/projects/hearings-meetings/bryan/2026/i14-central-texas-corridor-study-081126.html

6 public meetings on I-14 from Rogers in Bell County to Huntsville in Walker County.

-5 alignment options for the western segment between Rogers and Hearne.
-5 alignment options for the eastern segment between Bryan/College Station and Madisonville/Huntsville.
-4 alignment options for the central segment, loop around Bryan/College Station.

[MaxConcrete]

Full size    Official PDF with alignments


Observations

• There's a huge number of possible permutations for the recommended alignment using the alternatives. The recommended alignment could be mostly straight and efficient, or it could be terribly swerving and inefficient.
• The Madisonville option of the east alternatives is still alive. This is unexpected to me.
• The south option of the west alternatives (though Caldwell and Milano) has been eliminated.
• The east conceptual alternative along SH 30 appears to cross through or very close to the potential footprint of the SpaceX Terafab. Apparently there has not been coordination with Terafab.
• I think TxDOT needs to re-evaluate the alternatives in the area of Terafab to serve it, because it will be a traffic generator.

[-- US 175 --]

Funny that a map from TxDOT would show 45 as a US highway instead of an interstate.

[The Ghostbuster]

If they listed it as US 75, it would've been historically accurate. I've noticed they don't always get the shields right when they post State, US, and Interstate Highways on brochures.