State Representative Eddie Morales Files Bill Seeking FM 1021 (El Indio) Highway Designation Across Three Counties

By Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2026 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

State Representative Eddie Morales filed legislation November 9, 2026 seeking to designate Farm-to-Market Road 1021, also known as El Indio Highway, in Maverick, Dimmit and Webb counties as part of the state highway system, renewing an effort involving the regional transportation corridor.

House Bill 171 was among the proposals Morales filed for the 90th Legislature. A legislative report dated November 11 listed the measure’s latest action as filed.

The existing FM 1021 route extended southeast from Eagle Pass through El Indio and farther into Maverick County. The Texas Department of Transportation’s highway designation file listed its certified length at 31.766 miles, or approximately 31.8 miles, based on a 2010 mileage certification.

The three-county proposal involved a broader issue than the existing road’s mileage. A fiscal analysis of an earlier Morales proposal, House Bill 1026 during the 2025 legislative session, explained that the existing state-maintained portion of FM 1021 was contained within Maverick County.

That analysis estimated the earlier legislation would require TxDOT to acquire and convert approximately 44 miles of county roadway into the state highway system. Bringing those county road segments up to state highway standards carried a preliminary estimate of $665 million, excluding rehabilitation costs for existing state highway portions.

Those figures applied to the earlier proposal and did not establish the cost of the newly filed HB 171.

The Legislative Budget Board also determined that the earlier measure could have a positive financial impact on affected counties by transferring county roadway into the state highway system. However, it cautioned that the overall state cost could not be determined without detailed feasibility and cost studies.

For Maverick County residents, the new filing places renewed attention on a familiar transportation route and the possibility of a broader state highway connection involving neighboring counties.