U.S. Rep. John Carter presented Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder with a $4 million check to fund the rest of the FM 971 expansion project during a press conference Feb 3.
The future FM 971 expansion project will span from Gann Street to SH 130, widening the road to four lanes, adding a median and a shared-use path for bikes and pedestrians, Carter said during the event.
Portions of FM 971, which serves as a major east-west corridor for Georgetown, have narrower lanes than is standard, no underground drainage, no curbs, no shoulders and no space for pedestrians, according to a press release from Carter's office.
Last July, the city and Texas Department of Transportation finished a project that widened FM 971 to four lanes between Austin Avenue and Gann Street. That project also connected FM 971 to Northwest Boulevard, which provides access to I-35.
The $4 million in federal funding comes from the U.S. fiscal year 2022-23 budget, which was passed down through the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
“As a chairman on the Appropriations Committee, I'm in a unique position to bring Central Texans' tax dollars back for reinvestment in our community, and I'm pleased to bring this $4 million home,” Carter said in the release.
Schroeder said the total cost of the project is around $30 million to $40 million.
Georgetown Communications Manager Keith Hutchinson said the federal funding will help the city complete the design phase, right of way acquisition and environmental approvals. The city will then need to acquire funding for construction, Hutchinson said.
“It's a long stretch of road, so it's a lot of improvements,” Schroeder said at the press conference. “So this would be great seed money to get the project going. We'll continue seeking other partnerships.”
Schroeder said the expansion project was considered by City Council ahead of Georgetown's 2021 road bond but did not make the final list of projects funded through that bond. Voters approved a $90 million road bond in May 2021.
He said the FM 971 expansion project is especially important as the city continues to grow because it helps connect drivers to I-35 and SH 130.
“We are seeing folks look to move their companies, their businesses here to Georgetown, Texas, because of this road,” Schroeder said. “We talk all the time about small-town charm in Georgetown, and sitting in traffic lights does not equal small-town charm. So we've got to get folks moving.”
A construction timeline and completion date have not been set for this project, according to the city.
