(Lexington, Texas) -U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul met with members of the Lexington Volunteer Fire Department recently to see first-hand the hazardous conditions on FM 696, a 22-mile road that runs from US 290 to US 77 in Lee County.

The two-lane stretch of road is only 11 feet wide on several bridges, making it impossible for two vehicles to cross at once. The lanes on most of the road are as narrow as 6 feet. This, along with the steep declines on each side of the road, has led to a high number of fatality accidents. In February, two local women were killed and a Lexington man critically injured as the result of a head-on collision. Both women were employees of the Luminant Mining’s Three Oaks Lignite Mine, located on FM 696.

According to police reports, the 2006 Dodge pickup driven by the 34-year-old Lexington man was eastbound approaching the bridge on FM 696 when the right front tire/wheel struck the cement guard rail and the vehicle crossed into the westbound lane, striking the 2000 Chevrolet pickup driven westbound by the 44-year-old Rockdale woman. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, as was the 47-year-old Cameron woman who was riding with her.

On Thursday, April 10, just days after Congressman McCaul’s visit, a school bus ran off the roadway and rolled three times. Luckily, there were no students on the bus and the driver sustained only minor injuries. The cause of the accident was the lack of a shoulder on a narrow road, according to Michael Milburn, assistant fire chief with the Lexington Volunteer Fire Department.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who has lost a loved one on this dangerous stretch of road," said Congressman McCaul. "Last week's bus rollover shows how urgent this matter is. I will work hard to move this project to the top of the list for TXDOT road improvements."

During his visit, Congressman McCaul met with Milburn, local resident Greg Davidson, and local resident and volunteer fire fighter David Sherrill, who has been leading the effort to have the road expanded.

While a portion of the road has been expanded thanks to the Luminant Plant, much of the road is without shoulders. Lexington EMS vehicles will no longer travel on the road due to its unsafe conditions, meaning they must travel 10 miles farther when transporting patients from Lexington to Austin. School buses must stop in the middle of the road to drop off children.

More than 2,000 cars travel on the road daily, according to Sherrill. FM 696 is the only arterial road between Elgin and the community of Lexington, and is a short-cut between Austin and College Station. The road also serves unincorporated areas along its route, as well as the 130 employees of the Luminant Plant (formerly Alcoa). The number of employees at the plant is expected to rise to 250 once the facility is at full power.