Ribbon cutting marks opening of Granger road project Better acess to school, drainage promised
GRANGER — Completion of the FM 971 road project means safer access to the new Granger Secondary School and better drainage for the campus, officials said this week.
Representatives from the Texas Department of Transportation, Williamson County, the city and the Granger Independent School District gathered Monday during a ribbon cutting to celebrate the initiative.
“I hope this road makes traffic a little safer,” said Williamson County Judge Steven Snell.
Funded by the voterapproved 2023 Wilco Road Bond at a cost of $1.6 million, the FM 971 project not only provides left- and rightturn lanes into the new school but also includes drainage improvements, officials said.
The project was completed in November, but bad weather postponed a previous ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles praised the combined efforts of the city, county and TxDOT to get the project completed.
“If a county can’t be here to support our school districts, I don’t really know what we’re doing. (FM 971) was a great project and the school looks amazing,” Boles said.
Snell, a former educator of over 30 years, said the project makes it easier to travel to reach the campus.
“It’s one thing we think about every day as school leaders – getting kids to and from school safely,” Snell said.
Both the school and FM 971 initially were slated for completion by the start of the academic cycle in August.
Granger Secondary has yet to open due to water-line connectivity issues.
During the ceremony, Boles said work to connect the school’s water lines to the city’s is underway. “The pilot hole underneath the (Union Pacific) train tracks is through and over the next eight to 10 days they’re working on pushing the casing through…They’re making time and we’re moving forward,” Boles said.
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“I hope this road makes traffic a little safer.”
— Williamson County Judge Steven Snell
