ONGOING PROJECTS


1. RM 620 widening
The Texas Department of Transportation is developing an $80 million project to widen RM 620 from four lanes to a six-lane, divided road stretching from West Hwy. 71 to the Colorado River.

August 2023 bid pending available funding







 

2.


TxDOT is adding an acceleration lane and raised center median to a 0.65-mile stretch of RM 2222, from City Park Road to Loop 360. The $1 million project is beginning the initial design phase. Utility adjustments will begin pending any further progress on design.


Bid date: Feb. 1, 2020







 

3. West Hwy. 71 median, left-turn lane


TxDOT is adding a center median and left-turn lane to a 3.8-mile section of West Hwy. 71, from the Blanco County line to Paleface Ranch Road. The $13 million project is under development, meaning construction plans are being made.


Bid date: March 1, 2022 pending available funding








RECENT UPDATES


4. MoPac toll lanes

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority anticipates opening the rest of the northbound MoPac express lane in late September with the full project opening in early November. Crews completed final paving on the northbound side in mid-September.


Timeline: 2013-early November 2017


Cost: $204 million


Funding sources: various







 

5. MoPac South planning


The Mobility Authority could have more public events on the project in 2018 to gather input on plans to expand MoPac from Cesar Chavez Street to Slaughter Lane. On Aug. 4, a judge denied the claims in a lawsuit brought against the agency and TxDOT. The Mobility Authority plans to finish updating proposed concepts with the new traffic modeling information in early 2018.


Timeline: TBD


Cost: TBD


Funding sources: TBD







 

6. Bee Caves Road expansion


TxDOT pushed the completion date back by four months due to delays on the project, which will add a continuous left-turn lane on Bee Caves Road from Redbud Trail to Walsh Tarlton Lane. Utility work and retaining wall construction continue through September.


Timeline: Nov. 1, 2016-summer 2019


Cost: $23 million


Funding sources: TxDOT







 

7. Lohmans Spur Road extension


As part of Lakeway’s May 6 bond initiative, Lohmans Spur Road will be extended near the site of the city’s new police station. The project has a preliminary engineering design, but cost-saving measures on the project that may change its design.


Timeline: June-December 2018


Cost: $1 million


Funding sources: city of Lakeway







HOW IT WORKS


Why does TxDOT have to choose the lowest bidder on a project?


When the Texas Department of Transportation needs work to be done on a state highway, TxDOT solicits bids from developers. By state law TxDOT is required to choose the lowest bidder.


TxDOT spokesperson David Glessner said this state requirement is stipulated in the section of the Texas Transportation Code regarding bids and contracts for highway projects.


The lowest bid is chosen after the bids are read in a public letting meeting, or a meeting where the bid is publicly made available.


In such a case TxDOT can choose the second-lowest bidder if the lowest withdraws its application prior to the contract award. A bid is also unacceptable if its low cost is due to an incomplete project bid. 


The engineer for the project has a cost estimate for the project as well. If bids are significantly lower than the engineer’s estimate, then they are most likely deemed unacceptable, Glessner said.