The Bush-Wellborn intersection upgrade brings the promise of relief, but not without growing pains

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – College Station residents gathered Monday evening to learn more about an upcoming construction project at the intersection of George Bush Drive and Welborn Road.

Debbie Albert, research engineer at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, explained the importance of the project, which is scheduled to begin in 2026.

“We are here to meet with area residents and talk to them about their concerns during construction,” Albert said. “Especially when there is no longer a connection between George Bush Drive and Welborn Road, and to try and get feedback from them.”

The project, estimated to cost $103 million, will address heavy traffic congestion on a key corridor near Texas A&M University. According to Albert, more than 60,000 cars, nearly 300 buses and hundreds of cyclists pass through the intersection daily. Additionally, the area hosts over 200 special events annually, further increasing traffic problems.

“There are just a lot of people using this intersection. Backup is performed and major congestion occurs. We have to address this,” Albert said.

The new three-level interchange will include a dedicated pedestrian path, improved vehicle lanes and a section where George Bush Drive runs 35 feet beneath the railroad tracks.

While the project timeline remains flexible, Albert noted that construction could begin in spring 2026, after TxDOT issued a bid in December 2025. She added that minimizing the impact on local events, especially Texas A&M football games, will be a top priority with developing the construction schedule.

“TxDOT is really committed to communicating with the neighborhood, communicating with the community to provide them with up-to-date information so that people can make good decisions as they travel through construction,” Albert said.

One attendee expressed both excitement and concern about the growing pains of a project of this size.

The more informed we are, the more we can inform other people who pass through our neighborhood just to visit us. That means it’s going to turn everything upside down for a while. So the sooner we can create our patterns, the better,” said one College Station resident. “We really need this. This viaduct will be a fantastic part of the community. Everything they’ve done with the A&M community through Aggie Park and so on, it’s just going to tie it all together in a fantastic whole.”

However, he says he is grateful that these meetings are being held to gather community input.

“I mean, the fact that they’re working with us at all, and we still have a few meetings left on this, and they’re actually asking us for our opinions and giving us some time to think about it,” he said. “As long as we’re all communicating with each other, whether we like the plan or whether we can come to the same agreement, it’s only going to be helpful if we know what the plan is going to be one way or the other. second.”

Albert encouraged residents to take part in an ongoing survey on the BWX website.

“We want to get information about their travel needs, what kind of information they would like to have during construction and how often they would like to receive updates,” she said.

The next meeting will be on Thursday, October 3 at 6:00 p.m. at the Lincoln Recreation Center.

Community members can also complete an online survey to share their thoughts and concerns about the upcoming project.

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