Was there ever a proposed SH45 toll West Loop for Austin?

[thisdj78]

At the interchange of 183 and SH45 there are stubs indicating future direct connectors to what I assume would be a continuation of SH45 as a western loop. Just curious if there was a proposed route and where it would have gone? I imagine what ever proposals there were are now dead.

Aerial view of interchange:

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=30.468909,-97.798662&spn=0.020196,0.025706&gl=us&ui=maps&t=k&z=15

[wxfree]

http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/sh/sh0045.htm

It is designated all the way around Austin.  I guess I'd say it's been "proposed," but that isn't the same as what I'd call "planned."  Some designated routes are built decades later, and some will probably never be built.  This road itself is a good example; it was designated in 1985 and most of the existing portion wasn't built until 20 years later.  I know of no plans to build the west part of the loop, but it has, at a minimum, been proposed.

[Road Hog]

The cost of right-of-way has probably spiked 10-fold in the past 30 years in west Austin. If anything is built at all, it'll be in segments and will probably take another 30 to complete.

[texaskdog]

I have a 1994 map that has the "proposed" route.  Part of it was supposed to go north across the river and hook up with Quinlan Park Road in Steiner Ranch.  But the eastern section that has been built was supposed to be closer in.  I will attempt to scan it if I can.

[Chris]

http://www.kvue.com/news/Lakeway-suggests-toll-road-over-Balcones-Preserve-to-relieve-traffic-210633331.html

Lakeway proposed a toll road recently that would form a part of a loop around Austin.

But that area is quite developed, perhaps a toll road even farther west (extreme western Travis County) would be easier to construct before this area becomes developed as well.

[thisdj78]

The cost of right-of-way has probably spiked 10-fold in the past 30 years in west Austin. If anything is built at all, it'll be in segments and will probably take another 30 to complete.

What's interesting though is that halfway between Anderson lane and 2222, they kept enough right of way to build a freeway with frontage roads:

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=30.420959,-97.845483&spn=0.020206,0.025706&gl=us&ui=maps&t=k&z=15

[thisdj78]

http://www.kvue.com/news/Lakeway-suggests-toll-road-over-Balcones-Preserve-to-relieve-traffic-210633331.html

Lakeway proposed a toll road recently that would form a part of a loop around Austin.

But that area is quite developed, perhaps a toll road even farther west (extreme western Travis County) would be easier to construct before this area becomes developed as well.

I'm wondering if a better alternative would be to expand 360 and build a connector along the 2222 corridor from 360 to 620? And then add a few below grade underpasses at the busiest intersections along 620, like they did here with FM1960 in Houston which definitely has little to no right of way:

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=30.007469,-95.46366&spn=0.005073,0.006427&gl=us&ui=maps&t=k&z=17

[texaskdog]

They need a few bridges over Lake Travis

[ethanhopkin14]

At the interchange of 183 and SH45 there are stubs indicating future direct connectors to what I assume would be a continuation of SH45 as a western loop. Just curious if there was a proposed route and where it would have gone? I imagine what ever proposals there were are now dead.

Aerial view of interchange:

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=30.468909,-97.798662&spn=0.020196,0.025706&gl=us&ui=maps&t=k&z=15

Yes

[texaskdog]

I believe they just set it up to run down 620, and when it got around 2222 it would run further east, away from Lakeway.   Before Steiner Ranch was built, anyway.

[ethanhopkin14]

I believe they just set it up to run down 620, and when it got around 2222 it would run further east, away from Lakeway.   Before Steiner Ranch was built, anyway.

Further east yes. But the 620 Mansfield Dam bypass bridge was built to freeway standards with expansion of SH 45 in mind. So it would cut east after the bridge.

[MaxConcrete]

As others have noted, SH 45 was once planned as a full loop. I recall seeing a map which took it mostly west of RR 620, mostly parallel. But my memory is somewhat dim on the exact alignment.

Once the environmentalists secured political control of the area in the 1990s, the preserves were established and the west loop was killed.

As for the wider right-of-way in NW Austin west of the 183/45 interchange, my recollection is that there were efforts to extend the freeway/tollway to Anderson Mill, but no further. Even that short extension could not move forward. I seem to recall that the nearby neighborhood protested, and that was the end of it.

[texaskdog]

By the recycling bin today I found a sweet 1995 satelite photo of Austin someone put on foam core.  No idea why they were tossing it, I think it was our Executive Directors, who just retired.  It actually does show the original 45/130 routing that was further in than was evenutally built. 

[US81]

By the recycling bin today I found a sweet 1995 satelite photo of Austin someone put on foam core.  No idea why they were tossing it, I think it was our Executive Directors, who just retired.  It actually does show the original 45/130 routing that was further in than was eventually built.

Nice!! Congrats on a great find!!   

[texaskdog]

By the recycling bin today I found a sweet 1995 satelite photo of Austin someone put on foam core.  No idea why they were tossing it, I think it was our Executive Directors, who just retired.  It actually does show the original 45/130 routing that was further in than was eventually built.

Nice!! Congrats on a great find!!   

Tried to photograph it this morning but it's not working.  Also Howard Lane, when it hits McNeil just west of mopac, was projected to head north and run parallel to Mopac, about a mile to it's east. 

[texaskdog]

Hey I have a book with a picture of Business 81 & US 183 both making a left turn.   I can't imagine where this photo would have been.  I will try to take a picture and post.  The picture is easy but posting on here not so much.

It is on my computer but I never have luck with postinghttps://www.facebook.com/texaskdog187/media_set?set=a.10151565927256274.1073741829.598011273&type=3&uploaded=6#!/photo.php?fbid=10151565927526274&set=a.10151565927256274.1073741829.598011273&type=3&theater

[texaskdog]

crud, can i email it to someone who is good at posting?

[thisdj78]

crud, can i email it to someone who is good at posting?

Just sent you a message

[thisdj78]

Hey I have a book with a picture of Business 81 & US 183 both making a left turn.   I can't imagine where this photo would have been.  I will try to take a picture and post.  The picture is easy but posting on here not so much.

I'm wondering if this is Guadalupe at 1st street (Cesar Chavez) looking south?

[agentsteel53]

I can tell you that it was approximately 1965 that those '61 spec black squares were first used. 

[texaskdog]

Thanks for the help, thisdj78!

[thisdj78]

Thanks for the help, thisdj78!

This may help answer where this was taken at:

[NE2]

Dude... it gives you the address a couple lines above where your photo cuts off... http://books.google.com/books?id=dqsISgbIjVUC&pg=PA41

(though, given the variable quality of Arcadia Publishing, this could be wrong...)

[texaskdog]

Thanks I just saw that while reading it this weekend.  So it is in fact somewhere near 26th & Guadalupe on this map.

Willing to bet maybe its at 19th & Lavaca.

[Road Hog]

Willing to bet maybe its at 19th & Lavaca.

Judging by the shadows, the picture is looking north, so that is probably correct.