Georgetown City Council has approved a $5.6 million construction contract to help build a new segment of a roadway that will eventually connect Hwy. 29 with I-35 near the south edge of the city.

Council members voted unanimously Tuesday to award the contract to Jordan Foster Construction to build a segment of what is known as the Southwest Bypass.

Along with an additional segment that will be built with funding from Williamson County, the project will extend the Southwest Bypass to eventually create a new route to I-35 from both Hwy. 29 and Leander Road, according to city documents.

Once completed, the bypass will also connect to SE Inter Loop and allow drivers to reach SH 130 via Sam Houston Avenue.

Through a 2016 interlocal agreement between Georgetown and Williamson County, the city will build a two-lane segment of the bypass going east from I-35 for a half-mile. The county will reimburse the construction costs through bond funds, city documents show.

The county will also handle construction of a second segment that will connect to Leander Road.

Williamson County Commissioner Valerie Covey, who represents the county’s third precinct where the project is located, told council members Tuesday the Southwest Bypass will provide an alternative for drivers seeking to avoid heavy traffic on I-35. Covey added the new segment is part of a broader plan to create a westward route allowing drivers to bypass the freeway.

“We are excited that this project is finally here,” Covey said. "We have been trying to get a west-side connection for a long time."

Work on the Southwest Bypass has been underway since 2016. Ground broke last summer on a portion of the roadway from Leander Road to the Wolf Ranch Parkway extension. The parkway will create a new route to Hwy. 29 by way of D.B. Wood Road.

Georgetown voters approved funding for the $18.3 million project through a $105 million road bond in May 2015. The north portion of the bypass is expected to be finished in 2018, according to the city.

Jordan Foster Construction, the bid winner on Tuesday, is also contracted to complete the north portion.