The big picture
The segment will connect CR 137 to FM 3349, at CR 404 in Hutto, and add a new roadway with one road in each direction, a center turn lane and a sidewalk, Precinct 4 County Commissioner Russ Boles at the groundbreaking.
Segment two is expected to be completed by summer 2027, according to a news release.
The project, which falls within Boles’ jurisdiction, is expected to cost $64.4 million for segment two, according to the release. Segment one and four’s construction phases are complete, according to a Williamson County transportation update Boles presented at a Hutto Area Chamber of Commerce Luncheon on Sept. 11.
The entire East WilCo Highway has six segments and the total project cost for funded projects reaches $347.26 million, according to the update.
What they’re saying
At the start of the East WilCo Highway’s planning, Boles said he got mixed receptions from Hutto and Taylor residents questioning its necessity.
“The people who asked me, ‘Do we need it?’ aren’t asking me that anymore,” Boles said. “They’re asking me, ‘When are we going to get it done?’”
Segment two of the highway is the second-largest project in Williamson County’s road bond history, Boles said in the release, with segment three being the largest.
Williamson County is working with the Texas Department of Transportation on segment three, which will connect FM 3349 at Hwy. 79.
Key players
Segment two is being designed by JMT and contracted by Capital Excavation, Boles said, while thanking the companies’ employees who attended the groundbreaking.
“We don’t do any of this by ourselves,” Boles said. “This is a big project for Williamson County. I appreciate all your assistance.”
The highway project comes from the county’s efforts to keep up with continued growth, according to its website. The project is funded through the 2023 voter-approved Williamson County Road Bond, according to the release.
“There’s a whole system of roads that we’re putting together right as we speak,” Boles said. “We’re kind of in the epicenter of what’s going to be the economic and ... cultural center of East Williamson County.”
