The 9-mile 183 North project is expected to begin construction in early 2022. The project would add two tolled lanes and one non-tolled lane in each direction along the stretch of US 183 from SH 45 to MoPac.
The initial construction work would consist of high mast lighting and smoothing the surface to make it easier for widening, as well as earthwork and drainage activities, said Mike Sexton, acting director of engineering for the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, during a Nov. 17 board meeting. He added that the Mobility Authority is making progress on its design.
“We're about 30% through on design, progressing past that; that was in September. We’ve made a lot of progress. We're getting closer to 60% at this point on some of the work,” Sexton said.
The project costs $612 million and is expected to open to tolling in early 2026, according to Mobility Authority documents.
183 South exceeds expectations
The 183 South segment of US 183 has continued to exceed projections for the number of toll transactions since it opened to traffic in March. The latest Mobility Authority data showed 142,843 toll transactions on average each weekday in September compared to the 81,740 projected.
The project added 7 miles of sidewalks, 16 miles of bike paths and 10 miles of shared-use paths, which are 10- to 12-foot wide sidewalks, Sexton said.
Board members commended staff for how the project incorporated pedestrian bridges and spaces for the community to gather.
“If you start looking at projects like 45 SW and 183 South and the difference in terms of what [the Texas Department of Transportation] delivers versus what the [Mobility Authority] delivers, you really start to sense how local control of projects, it just manifests itself in different projects that we really should be very proud of,” Board Member John Langmore said.
183A Toll Phase 3 progressing
The 183A Toll Phase 3 project is beginning excavation just south of Hwy. 29. Once the project is complete, 183A Toll will go under Hwy. 29.
The project is a 5.3-mile extension of the existing 10-mile 183A Toll, running from Hero Way to north of Hwy. 29.
Because of the San Gabriel River and other cross streets that run through the project limits, it will also require significant bridge additions, Sexton said. The project is 63% completed with drill shafts for bridges and 23% completed with bridge columns.
The construction work is on budget and roughly on time, at about one week behind schedule, Sexton added. The $277 million project is expected to be open to tolling in early 2025. Editor's Note: This version clarifies that the 183 South toll transaction number represents the average weekday transactions for the month.
