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

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

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

“We’re here to meet with the neighborhoods and talk to them about what their concerns are going to be during construction,” Albert said. “Specifically when there’s no connection between George Bush Drive and Welborn Road any longer, and to try and get some feedback from them.”

The project, estimated at $103 million, will address heavy traffic congestion in a key corridor near Texas A&M University. According to Albert, the intersection sees more than 60,000 cars a day, nearly 300 buses, and hundreds of bicyclists. Additionally, the area hosts over 200 special events annually, further exacerbating traffic challenges.

“There’s just a lot of people who use that intersection. It gets backed up, and there’s a lot of congestion. We need to provide some relief for that,” 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 timeline for the project remains flexible, Albert noted that construction could start in the spring of 2026, following a December 2025 bid letting by TxDOT. She added that minimizing the impact on local events, especially Texas A&M football games, will be a top priority when developing the construction schedule.

“TxDOT is really committed to communicating with the neighborhood, communicating with the community to provide them updates so that people can make good decisions when traveling during construction,” Albert said.

One attendee, expressed both excitement and concern about the growing pains that come along with a project of this magnitude.

The more informed we are, the more we can inform other people as well, coming through our neighborhood just to visit us. I mean, it’s going to turn everything upside down for quite a while. So the sooner we can make our patterns, the better,” said one College Station resident. “We need this so bad. This overpass is going to be fantastic part of the community. Everything that they’ve done with the A&M community through Aggie Park and things, it’s just going to bring it all together in such a fantastic way.”

However, he says that he’s grateful that these meetings are being held to gather input from the community.

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

Albert encouraged residents to participate in an ongoing survey hosted on the BWX website.

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

The next meeting is Thursday October 3 at 6:00 pm at the Lincoln Recreation Center.

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

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