Williamson County (Northern Austin Metro) Projects

[thisdj78]

Kenney Fort Boulevard extension between Forest Creek Drive and SH45 opens to public

https://www.roundrocktexas.gov/news/kenney-fort-boulevard-extension-between-forest-creek-drive-and-sh45-opens-to-public/

[thisdj78]

SH 130 in WilCo will be widened to 3 lanes after funding approval

https://www.fox7austin.com/news/sh-130-wilco-expanding-into-williamson-county

[The Ghostbuster]

Couldn't the proposed widening of TX 130 have continued a short distance further south to the northern segment of TX 45?

[thisdj78]

Couldn't the proposed widening of TX 130 have continued a short distance further south to the northern segment of TX 45?

I wondered that too. Only explanation I can think of is that maybe funding has already been set for widening from Dessau/685 to Gattis prior to this article, or they misspoke and the new expansion will include the segment south of Gattis rd.

[longhorn]

It makes sense (I know this is TxDot) that this expansion is from 45 to I-35 north of Georgetown. And while we are at the intersection of I-35/130 and 195, can we fix the crisscrossing that happens between the I-35 to 195 traffic and the 130-I-35 traffic. Computer modeling over 20 years ago did not see this being a problem?

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.6898939,-97.6697256,3812m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.692098,-97.6552683,3a,35.9y,15.21h,93.69t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sX2QKr9yIgIcnvyPisEEgYA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-3.6904068259029117%26panoid%3DX2QKr9yIgIcnvyPisEEgYA%26yaw%3D15.21417901635715!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

[thisdj78]

It makes sense (I know this is TxDot) that this expansion is from 45 to I-35 north of Georgetown. And while we are at the intersection of I-35/130 and 195, can we fix the crisscrossing that happens between the I-35 to 195 traffic and the 130-I-35 traffic. Computer modeling over 20 years ago did not see this being a problem?

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.6898939,-97.6697256,3812m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.692098,-97.6552683,3a,35.9y,15.21h,93.69t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sX2QKr9yIgIcnvyPisEEgYA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-3.6904068259029117%26panoid%3DX2QKr9yIgIcnvyPisEEgYA%26yaw%3D15.21417901635715!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

I don't know why they didn't make SH130 end right where SH95 crosses I-35. Could have made a multilevel interchange instead of the crazy merge situation.

I do know that there are plans to extend SH195 past I-35 to SH95 north of Taylor, so I wonder how that will impact the current intersection there.

[MaxConcrete]

The RM 2243 project has received a FONSI (Finding of no significant impact). It is planned to be a future 4-lane freeway with continuous frontage roads.

Announcement

More info on the Wilco project site.

This project is among the Wilco future freeways most likely to be built. In the short term, the FONSI will enable ROW acquisition by TxDOT. The Wilco site says phase 1 will start in summer 2025. No details are given, but I presume phase 1 will be one side of the frontage roads, to establish the new alignment of the corridor on the west end. With I-35 consuming most funding in Austin for about another 7 years, I don't expect any TxDOT-funded construction until the 2030s.

As an interesting observation on the east end of the project, the preliminary schematic showed both frontage roads dropping down into the quarry. The final schematic shows the frontage roads on the existing ground level of RM 2243.

[thisdj78]

I drove down Chandler road for the first time in several months and looks like they have started a badly needed widening project (it's currently a 2 lane road). Long term plan is for it to be a controlled access freeway, so I'm not sure if they are widening it to a frontage road configuration with a wide median for future lanes or are they simply just adding adjacent lanes:

https://www.wilcotx.gov/839/Chandler-Road

[thisdj78]

Cedar Park approves $500M tollway study along Ronald Reagan Boulevard

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/williamson-county/cedar-park-toll-ronald-reagan-boulevard-study/269-b9dc6b59-8136-45a6-a608-5312f14e7a2f

[I-55]

Cedar Park approves $500M tollway study along Ronald Reagan Boulevard

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/williamson-county/cedar-park-toll-ronald-reagan-boulevard-study/269-b9dc6b59-8136-45a6-a608-5312f14e7a2f

The way this article is written led me initially to believe the study itself would be $500 million lol. I also don't understand building a toll road only two miles from another toll road. But maybe that's just how Texas rolls. The 30 mile number also seems out of left field as the project limits the article describes should only be 11-12 miles. The scope of the proposal is also poorly written, as the article mentions 8-lane controlled access roadway, then says "a toll lane in both directions at RM 1431 and two raised toll lanes in both directions heading north." Made me think it would be a freeway with HOT lanes. The next sentence then says, "The project would also include two to three frontage lanes in each direction with intersections. Officials say existing frontage lanes would remain free to drivers." So what is it? Is it a tollway? Is it a freeway with HOT lnes and frontage roads? Is it frontage roads with HOT lanes? Idk at this point. Also the $500 million number seems too low for that much construction.

[MaxConcrete]

I agree with I-55: the reporting is terrible. A better source of information is the linked video from the Cedar Park council meeting.

The map in the news report video has a major error. It shows the route following Ronald Reagan to FM 2243, and then going east on FM 2243. The correct route follows Ronald Reagan all the way to I-35.

Highlights from the linked video from the Cedar Park council meeting.

• Williamson County asked TxDOT to extend Parmer north of Whitestone in 2000, but TxDOT declined. So Williamson County started building it.
• Williamson County has done all it can do with its resources, so it is now attempting to make it a toll road. CTMRA would do all the financing and construction.
• The proposed toll road would have 2x2 main lanes. The cross section shown suggests it could have low standards, possibly lacking shoulders.
• Section 1, from Whitestone to SH 29, is estimated to cost $523 million.
• TxDOT is still studying Parmer south of Whitestone, which is the southward continuation of Ronald Reagan Blvd. It is "most likely" there will be one managed lane each way south of Whitestone. That seems like a major problem in the southbound direction, where 2 lanes go down to 1.
• CTRMA will do a "T&R" (traffic & revenue) study which will take around a year.

My opinion is that this concept has multiple problems. As I-55 mentioned, it is very close to the 183 toll road which is owned by CTRMA. In other words, CTRMA would be building a competitor to one of its existing projects. It's a lot of money for a low-quality, low capacity toll road. Having 1x1 south of Whitestone and 2x2 north of Whitestone is a problem.

In my view, the Reagan Tollway should start at FM 2243 and go north. The Reagan toll road should connect into the 183 toll road via FM 2243 (which is planned to be a freeway or tollway).

[longhorn]

It makes sense (I know this is TxDot) that this expansion is from 45 to I-35 north of Georgetown. And while we are at the intersection of I-35/130 and 195, can we fix the crisscrossing that happens between the I-35 to 195 traffic and the 130-I-35 traffic. Computer modeling over 20 years ago did not see this being a problem?

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.6898939,-97.6697256,3812m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.692098,-97.6552683,3a,35.9y,15.21h,93.69t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sX2QKr9yIgIcnvyPisEEgYA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-3.6904068259029117%26panoid%3DX2QKr9yIgIcnvyPisEEgYA%26yaw%3D15.21417901635715!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Shocking, another accident today at this same interchange. A truck and a CUV trying to occupy the same space at the same time. The amount of truck traffic is increasing (guess the trucking companies consider the toll more than worth it compared to sitting on the I-35 parking lot), and the number of employees driving home to Central Texas and north Georgetown is increasing. What do they think will happen when that much-needed extra lane of traffic crosses over 195 traffic to merge onto I-35?

[thisdj78]

East Wilco Highway Segment 3 opens to traffic

https://www.kxan.com/traffic/williamson-county-traffic/east-wilco-highway-segment-3-opens-to-traffic/

[MaxConcrete]

I was driving through the area near the Samsung construction zone, and I saw a tent with a group of people at FM 3343. It turned out it was the official groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the FM 3343 overpass. I missed the main event, but there was still some activity and I took these photos.

When leaving the event I saw a car-carrier with a load of Teslas going to a parking lot on the southeast corner of the intersection. That parking lot is the site where Teslas are loaded onto trains.

http://dallasfreeways.com/dfwfreeways/AARoads/20221026-austin_023-1600.JPG


http://dallasfreeways.com/dfwfreeways/AARoads/20221026-austin_019-1600.JPG

Ribbon cutting (X)