You Yankees, as usual, have a very distorted view of Texas. There are very few ‘rural’ exits along IH-35 from south of San Antonio to the Red River. This particular area is under heavy construction and the frontage roads are blocked due to lack of a bridge across the Lampasas River. We did not need one until our population exploded.
Bell County (Salado) is in a very high growth situation because of all of the refugees from the liberal states looking for jobs and escaping the global warming that is overwhelming the area north of an Oklahoma/North Carolina line.(I think you chose Florida.)
I use the particular exit involved in this accident when I am going to or from Austin. As it is my wife was in Austin today for a DRT (Daughters of the Republic of Texas) meeting and had to divert 40 miles east of Austin to take an uncluttered route home. (283 to 77 to 36 to 93 to Belton,10 miles north of Salado.)
The small towns along the nearest alternate route were cluttered with the diverted traffic and had Troopers directing traffic.
Just saw a notice on I35 in San Antonio that it was closed North of Georgetown. I’m headed back home to NW Arkansas Saturday I monitoring the situation and planning alternate routes...