The Safety Reasons Behind the Closure of Belton Dam Overlook

There have been several accidents in the area, but no fatalities. However, officials don't want to wait until a deadly accident happens to make a change.

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KWTX is reporting that police in Belton say they’ve responded to 25 accidents in the last three years at the intersection outside the Lake Belton Dam overlook, and it's time to shut it down until further notice.

Belton Dam Overlook Safety Issues

When officials expressed their concerns to the Corps of Engineers who oversee the dam, they ultimately decided to close the dam until a solution is found.

I made the decision to close that area until those concerns could be addressed because the next accident could be fatal.

-Lake Manager, Joshua Brown

None of the accidents police have responded to in the area have resulted in loss of life, but Brown says he wasn’t willing to take a risk.

Reaction on Social Media

Out of over 75 comments on KWTX's Facebook page regarding the closure, most were in agreement that people going over the speed limit were the actual problem. Many responded that adding a light or otherwise addressing issues to prevent speeding would be the best way to solve the problem, rather than closing the area altogether. However, a few people agreed that closing things off would be the safest choice for now.

Other people wanted to know when additional problematic ramps would be repaired, while still others posted sunset pictures reminding everyone of what they will miss in the meantime until the Belton Dam Overlook is open for business again. The overlook closed a few weeks ago, and there’s no word on when it could reopen.

Let's hope this safety issue can be resolved soon, so we can all enjoy the area again!