Tex. Transportation Code § 251.157
This is the official text of Tex. Transportation Code § 251.157, part of Texas’s Transportation Code — governs vehicles, drivers, and roadways.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 251.157. PROHIBITING OR RESTRICTING USE OF ROAD.
Official statutory text
(a) In this section, "road supervisor" means a person authorized to supervise roads in a county or in a district or precinct of a county.
(b) A road supervisor may prohibit or restrict, if an alternative, more suitable road is available within the county at the time, the use of a road or a section of a road under the supervisor's control by any vehicle that will unduly damage the road when:
(1) because of wet weather or recent construction or repairs, the road cannot be safely used without probable serious damage to it; or
(2) a bridge or culvert on the road is unsafe.
(c) Before prohibiting or restricting the use of a road under this section, the road supervisor shall post notices that state the road and the expected duration of the prohibition or restriction, and identify the alternate route. The notices must be posted at locations that enable drivers to detour to avoid the restricted road.
(d) The road supervisor may not prohibit the use of a road under this section until a detour has been provided.
(e) If the owner or operator of a vehicle that is prohibited or restricted from using a road under this section is aggrieved by the prohibition or restriction, the person may file with the county judge of the county in which the restricted road is located a written complaint that sets forth the nature of the grievance. On the filing of the complaint the county judge promptly shall set the issue for a hearing to be held not later than the third day after the date on which the complaint is filed. The county judge shall give the road supervisor, the county engineer, and the commissioners court written notice of the date and purpose of each hearing.
(f) The county judge shall hear testimony offered by the parties. On conclusion of the hearing, the county judge shall sustain, revoke, or modify the road supervisor's decision on the prohibition or restriction. The county judge's judgment is final as to the issues raised.
(b) A road supervisor may prohibit or restrict, if an alternative, more suitable road is available within the county at the time, the use of a road or a section of a road under the supervisor's control by any vehicle that will unduly damage the road when:
(1) because of wet weather or recent construction or repairs, the road cannot be safely used without probable serious damage to it; or
(2) a bridge or culvert on the road is unsafe.
(c) Before prohibiting or restricting the use of a road under this section, the road supervisor shall post notices that state the road and the expected duration of the prohibition or restriction, and identify the alternate route. The notices must be posted at locations that enable drivers to detour to avoid the restricted road.
(d) The road supervisor may not prohibit the use of a road under this section until a detour has been provided.
(e) If the owner or operator of a vehicle that is prohibited or restricted from using a road under this section is aggrieved by the prohibition or restriction, the person may file with the county judge of the county in which the restricted road is located a written complaint that sets forth the nature of the grievance. On the filing of the complaint the county judge promptly shall set the issue for a hearing to be held not later than the third day after the date on which the complaint is filed. The county judge shall give the road supervisor, the county engineer, and the commissioners court written notice of the date and purpose of each hearing.
(f) The county judge shall hear testimony offered by the parties. On conclusion of the hearing, the county judge shall sustain, revoke, or modify the road supervisor's decision on the prohibition or restriction. The county judge's judgment is final as to the issues raised.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Texas?
Find a Texas lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.