Residents press Limestone County to fix dust and safety problems on County Road 374; commissioners table closure while seeking negotiated fixes

Limestone County residents urged commissioners to address severe dust, road damage and safety concerns on County Road 374 during an extended public comment period, while quarry operators warned that closing the road to truck traffic could put local pits out of business.

Residents described heavy dust that prevents them from opening windows and causes visible accumulation on homes and swimming pools. "We live a half a mile from it. We can't open the front windows on the house," said Brian McCoy, a resident of County Road 374. Another resident described the road as "dangerous" with collapsing edges and limited safe pullouts.

Quarry representatives and a local lawyer, Jerry Jacobs, presented a satellite map and argued that restricting truck travel on 374 would divert customers to competing quarries and could threaten local operations. "If you restrict or prohibit truck travel on 374, what we're effectively doing is putting them out of business," Jacobs said, while offering that his client would donate rock, labor and ditch clearing to improve the road if the county coordinates repairs.

Commissioners noted legal steps required to close a public road and said they had consulted the county attorney and an attorney-general opinion. One commissioner said a road-use agreement should be in place to hold operators accountable if the county accepts donated repairs. County officials also said they had contacted the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for an air-quality check because dust on the road had become "basically powder." After discussion the court moved to table the item and requested additional meetings with quarry operators and residents to seek a solution.