The Texas Department of Transportation has announced plans to widen FM 1289 this year.

This stretch of road which connects FM 238 on the outskirts of Port Lavaca to State Highway 185, the only road going into Port O’Connor, has long been a subject of concern to locals and visitors alike.

As the site of many accidents including four fatalities in the past six years, FM 1289 has qualified for Hazard Elimination funds through the Federal Highway Administration.

TxDOT will be taking bids in June of this year to build shoulders on the road from Coloma Creek south to Highway 185. This approximately four-mile stretch is the site of all the recent fatal accidents.
The work is expected to begin around August. It should take about eight months to complete the project.

“We’re glad to be able to do this,” said Randy Bena, area TxDOT engineer. “Having shoulders on the road will greatly add to its safety.”

Eventually, the eleven-mile portion of FM 1289 north of Coloma Creek to FM 238 will also be widened, but that will have to be done with State money.