Construction to fill road gaps on Little Elm Trail and finish a new corridor in Cedar Park will begin in December, after Cedar Park City Council approved a contractor for the project Oct. 22.

Project Manager Randall Lueders said Little Elm will become a four-lane road that connects Bell Boulevard to Lakeline Boulevard. Construction will last about a year, he said.

Place 4 Council Member Lowell Moore said city leaders anticipate the road’s completion.

“We’ve had this project on our radar for a number of years, and we’re very glad to see this [start date] come up,” Moore said. “It’s going to open a new corridor that not only services neighborhoods and schools, but also makes some travel to-and-from locations off of Lakeline easier to do, and opens up retail and commercial opportunities for us.”

The winning bid from Patin Construction was just short of $5 million and represents a portion of the Little Elm project’s budget, which is set at $7.06 million.

Lueders said unanticipated project costs can be covered by the extra budgeted amount.

The city of Cedar Park is funding $2.98 million of the project, according to an interlocal agreement between the city and Williamson County. About $550,000 more will come from the city’s Community Development Corporation, or 4B Board, and Williamson County will fund about $3.53 million.

Another $503,375 from the city’s utility fund will be used to lay a new 16-inch water line.