Central Texas residents are invited to attend an Oct. 7 town hall meeting to learn about efforts to improve the area's major roadways.

State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez as well as representatives from the Texas Department of Transportation and the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority to discuss how the region intends to spend $120 million in transportation money approved by voters last November.

TxDOT has identified 14 projects throughout Central Austin that will benefit from the Proposition 1 money, including $100 million dedicated to I-35 improvements in Hays, Travis and Williamson counties during the next 10 years.

The Mobility Authority, the agency responsible for overseeing the region's tolled highways, is also leading efforts to build an eight-mile expressway on US 183 South between US 290 and SH 71. There are also efforts to convert by the end of next year 3.9 miles of SH 71 from Presidential Boulevard near the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport east to SH 130.

The transportation town hall-style meeting takes place 6:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at Austin Community College's Riverside Campus auditorium, 1020 Grove Blvd., Bldg. G.

Rodriguez represents parts of East and Southeast Austin as well as eastern Travis County.