Texas Transportation Commissioner Jeff Austin spoke about the importance of building new infrastructure to support the anticipated regional growth in population at the SH 71 ribbon cutting Tuesday.[/caption]
Updated March 2
The toll project that connects the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to SH 130 opened to the public Tuesday, Feb. 28.
The $149 million, 3.9-mile toll project aims to improve access to the airport but also provides a safer commute for residents who rely on the roadway to access Austin, Del Valle and Bastrop.
“A lot of people going to the airport and points farther east won’t have to go through intersections,” said Terry McCoy, Austin district engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation.
SH 71 added one toll lane in each direction from Presidential Boulevard to Onion Creek, overpasses at FM 973 and SH 130, and reconfigured the intersection at FM 973. The project also saw the reconstruction of the frontage roads and improved pedestrian and bike access on both sides of the roadway.
The price of the toll will be 87 cents, and the toll plaza is located near FM 973. Pay-by-mail customers will be charged $1.16.
TxDOT hosted a ribbon cutting Tuesday on the project. Leaders from agencies involved in the project, including the Texas Transportation Commission and the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, addressed the importance of projects like SH 71. The Mobility Authority will take over operation of the toll project but will pay TxDOT 6 percent of annual revenue to oversee the TxTAG toll sticker program.
TTC Commissioner Jeff Austin said new infrastructure is necessary to support an anticipated 160 percent growth in the region’s population by 2050, according to data from the state demographer.
“[Traffic congestion] is not solved,” he said. “... [SH 71] is a very important link in Central Texas, but we have a lot of work to do. There are jobs still coming. If we’re adding several hundreds of thousands of people more in this area, they’ve got to travel somewhere.”
Jim Smith, the city’s aviation department executive director, said more reliable access to the airport means more airlines will look to ABIA to add flights and destinations. He said ABIA saw 12.5 million passengers and had a $3 billion economic impact last year .
Officials from the Texas Department of Transportation, Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and McCarthy Building Co. celebrated the opening of SH 71 on Feb. 28.[/caption]
Area transportation plans
More work is in the pipeline. Last June, the Mobility Authority and its partners broke ground on the
$743 million 183 South project that will add three tolled lanes in each direction between Hwy. 290 and Hwy. 71. Although the two toll projects will not directly connect, drivers will be to access both projects, McCoy said.
TxDOT officials have previously said opening the 183 South project will be key before the agency can begin work to provide congestion relief on I-35.
TxDOT is also planning additional work farther east on Hwy. 71 toward Bastrop. McCoy said the agency is already designing plans for Ross and Kellum roads to have grade-separated intersections, meaning overpasses and underpasses would allow drivers to bypass traffic lights.
“Hopefully within the next few years, you’ll be able to drive from Loop 1 to I-10 in Columbus without having to go through a signalized intersection," McCoy said. "That’s the goal here."
Editor's note: This post has been updated to correct the management of the 183 South project.
Texas Transportation Commissioner Jeff Austin spoke about the importance of building new infrastructure to support the anticipated regional growth in population at the SH 71 ribbon cutting Tuesday.[/caption]
Updated March 2
The toll project that connects the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to SH 130 opened to the public Tuesday, Feb. 28.
The $149 million, 3.9-mile toll project aims to improve access to the airport but also provides a safer commute for residents who rely on the roadway to access Austin, Del Valle and Bastrop.
“A lot of people going to the airport and points farther east won’t have to go through intersections,” said Terry McCoy, Austin district engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation.
SH 71 added one toll lane in each direction from Presidential Boulevard to Onion Creek, overpasses at FM 973 and SH 130, and reconfigured the intersection at FM 973. The project also saw the reconstruction of the frontage roads and improved pedestrian and bike access on both sides of the roadway.
The price of the toll will be 87 cents, and the toll plaza is located near FM 973. Pay-by-mail customers will be charged $1.16.
TxDOT hosted a ribbon cutting Tuesday on the project. Leaders from agencies involved in the project, including the Texas Transportation Commission and the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, addressed the importance of projects like SH 71. The Mobility Authority will take over operation of the toll project but will pay TxDOT 6 percent of annual revenue to oversee the TxTAG toll sticker program.
TTC Commissioner Jeff Austin said new infrastructure is necessary to support an anticipated 160 percent growth in the region’s population by 2050, according to data from the state demographer.
“[Traffic congestion] is not solved,” he said. “... [SH 71] is a very important link in Central Texas, but we have a lot of work to do. There are jobs still coming. If we’re adding several hundreds of thousands of people more in this area, they’ve got to travel somewhere.”
Jim Smith, the city’s aviation department executive director, said more reliable access to the airport means more airlines will look to ABIA to add flights and destinations. He said ABIA saw 12.5 million passengers and had a $3 billion economic impact last year .
Officials from the Texas Department of Transportation, Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and McCarthy Building Co. celebrated the opening of SH 71 on Feb. 28.[/caption]
Area transportation plans
More work is in the pipeline. Last June, the Mobility Authority and its partners broke ground on the $743 million 183 South project that will add three tolled lanes in each direction between Hwy. 290 and Hwy. 71. Although the two toll projects will not directly connect, drivers will be to access both projects, McCoy said.
TxDOT officials have previously said opening the 183 South project will be key before the agency can begin work to provide congestion relief on I-35.
TxDOT is also planning additional work farther east on Hwy. 71 toward Bastrop. McCoy said the agency is already designing plans for Ross and Kellum roads to have grade-separated intersections, meaning overpasses and underpasses would allow drivers to bypass traffic lights.
“Hopefully within the next few years, you’ll be able to drive from Loop 1 to I-10 in Columbus without having to go through a signalized intersection," McCoy said. "That’s the goal here."
Editor's note: This post has been updated to correct the management of the 183 South project.
