Horseshoe markings ordered removed

OVERTON — Overton is appealling the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) order to remove horseshoe-shaped road markings from Warren Street.

According to our news partner KETK, the appeal process officially began Thursday after TxDOT directed the city to remove the markings, saying they do not comply with a new order from Gov. Greg Abbott requiring the removal of nonstandard surface markings from Texas roadways. TxDOT notified the city by email on Dec. 8 that the horseshoe markings needed to be removed as soon as possible, citing letters sent in October to all affected cities and counties. The City of Overton said they never received the October letter.

On Dec. 18, the Overton City Council voted to formally appeal the decision, arguing that the horseshoes represent the city’s school mascot, the Mustang, and have been painted on Warren Street since the early 1990s.

According to the city, a TxDOT engineer later informed officials that they must submit a written request for an exception explaining why the markings should remain, along with a signed statement from a licensed Texas engineer certifying that the markings comply with the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and the Federal Highway Safety Road Initiative.

In response, the city submitted a letter from Engineering Design Solutions stating the markings are not a distraction to drivers and instead serve as an additional warning for motorists unfamiliar with the area, particularly near the school, to watch for student pedestrians.

The appeal process is ongoing.