Road projects across Hays County have recently seen major progress. Check out three transportation updates from the city of Kyle and the city of San Marcos.

1. Bebee Road West realignment

   Project: The roadway will be widened from two lanes to four with a center turn lane.

   Update: Crews are installing conduit between I-35 and the new roundabout. That section of the roadway will be temporarily closed until Oct. 31. During the closure, traffic will be detoured through the new I-35 at Kohlers Crossing intersection and along the Kohlers Crossing extension.

2. Center Street

   Project: The street will be widened and curbs, gutters, lighting and sidewalks will be added.

   Update: Construction began at the 5-way traffic stop at West Center Street and Old Stagecoach Road on July 13. Crews are potholing and building drainage improvements.

3. Sessom Creek bank stabilization and sewer work at Canyon Road

   Project: Phase 2 includes studying water flow, securing necessary land access and preparing designs for natural stream restoration, road crossings, the removal of Loquat Street and utility improvements.

   Update: Crews installed the final layer of asphalt on Canyon Road and all remaining landscaping features. They continue to revegetate and monitor soils disturbed by construction activity.

School Fuel San Marcos provides over 1,400 San Marcos CISD, or SMCISD, students with food each weekend during the school year. The local nonprofit organization works to ensure students who struggle with hunger at home have access to food.

The overview: Over 75% of school-aged children qualify for the federal free/reduced lunch program, but most go home each weekend with little to no food, according to the organization’s website. School Fuel San Marcos began its service in 2013, providing sacks of food to 31 homeless students.

The organization provides sacks of food to students at every SMCISD campus, from kindergarteners through twelfth graders, every weekend of the school year. On average, it costs $225 to feed one student for the school year.

The details: Operations at School Fuel San Marcos are fully handled by community volunteers. The nonprofit gets volunteers from local organizations, Texas State University students and community members.

School Fuel San Marcos is funded through government grants, including from the city of San Marcos, private foundation grants and individual donations.

Texas voters will choose from Republican Bo French, Libertarian Arthur DiBianca and Democrat Jon Rosenthal in this November's Texas Railroad Commission race.

The details: The winner of the race will be sworn in to replace incumbent Commissioner Jim Wright in January.

French beat Wright in a May Republican primary runoff, advancing to the general election. Rosenthal ran uncontested in the March Democratic primary, while DiBianca was selected as the Texas Libertarian Party's candidate during an April nominating convention.

Did you know? The three-member railroad commission does not have any jurisdiction over the state's railroads—that authority was transferred to the Texas Department of Transportation and the federal government by 2005, according to the commission's website. Instead, the agency regulates Texas' oil and gas industries.

Looking ahead: Early voting in dozens of local and state races runs from Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.

The Texas Department of Transportation manages over 200,000 miles of state highways. Roughly 72% of all vehicle travel in the state occurs on TxDOT-maintained highways, TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said.

As Texas’ population continues to grow, so does “demand on our transportation systems, from busy urban corridors to rural communities,” Williams told lawmakers during an Aug. 17 hearing held by the Texas House Transportation Committee.

What's happening: More than 11,000 TxDOT projects are currently in the works, according to the agency’s website.

To keep motorists informed about road construction, TxDOT collects public input during the project planning process, then conducts outreach on social media, on project websites and through email notifications before and during closures, according to Eric Lykins, TxDOT’s senior director of district operations. The agency also places electronic message signs on roadways ahead of closures or detours, he said.

Some state lawmakers are encouraging transportation officials to improve outreach to motorists when roads, lanes and exits are closed or adjusted.