ONGOING PROJECTS
1. The city of Georgetown plans to break ground in early 2017 on a sidewalk along the southbound frontage road of I-35 between Hwy. 29 and Leander Road.
spring 2017-summer 2017
2. Construction continues to widen FM 1460 to a four-lane, divided roadway with a center median from Quail Valley Drive in Georgetown to just north of University Boulevard in Round Rock. High Tech Drive has been closed until further notice. Texstar Drive and Quail Valley serve as detour routes.
February 2016-early 2018
3. The Southwest Bypass and Wolf Ranch Parkway extension will connect Hwy. 29 at D.B. Wood Road to Leander Road. Williamson County will continue the bypass from Leander Road to I-35.
June 2017-mid-2018 (city portion); end of 2017 (county portion to break ground)
RECENT UPDATES
4. Austin Avenue/Fifth Street improvements
The city of Georgetown is close to finalizing design and cost estimates for a plan to install a traffic signal at the Fifth Street and Austin Avenue intersection with sidewalk and Americans with Disabilities Act compatibility improvements.
Timeline: fall 2016-spring 2017
5. University Avenue sidewalk
The city of Georgetown project to build a sidewalk along University Avenue between I-35 and Scenic Drive that complies with ADA guidelines is close to being completed and undergoing final inspections and reviews.
Timeline: October 2016-February 2017
6. Rivery Boulevard extension
Property and right of way acquisitions are close to complete so the city of Georgetown can have a plan in place when city officials begin to form the fiscal year 2017-18 budget. The Rivery Boulevard extension will allow Rivery to connect Williams Drive to Northwest Boulevard, providing more direct access from the Sheraton Georgetown Texas Hotel & Conference Center to other existing hotels near the intersection of Northwest and I-35.
Timeline: spring 2015-summer 2020
HOW IT WORKS
Why does it take so long to build a state-operated road?
The Texas Department of Transportation undergoes a rigorous process to determine whether to build a state roadway and how it would look.
TxDOT creates a concept and develops the scope and also consults the region’s long-range transportation plan.
Next, TxDOT staffers gather data on travel times, crashes, population and employment. Community input is also incorporated.
Based on the purpose and need, TxDOT will create several concepts and ask the public to review them.
Once a preferred alternative has emerged, TxDOT will identify environmental issues, collect data and assess constructability. The refined proposal is taken back to the public for review.
TxDOT will make an environmental decision on the roadway’s impact before completing the final design and identifying a funding source.
Once a project has funding, it is placed on TxDOT’s 24-month letting schedule in which contractors bid on projects. The final step is issuing a construction notice.
