Travis County and Lake Travis ISD officially entered into an interlocal agreement on the Vail Divide Southern Extension project, which includes the construction of a roadway and bridge between Hamilton Pool Road and Hwy. 71 in an effort to relieve traffic congestion.



The LTISD board of trustees unanimously approved the interlocal agreement with the county during a Jan. 15 school board meeting.



The roadway project will provide additional access to Lake Travis ISD’s Bee Cave Middle School and per the terms of the agreement, the district will be responsible for the management and development of the project.



However, the project will be considered a county project, which will exempt the district from certain fines. Once the project is completed, Travis County will be responsible for maintenance, according to general counsel Amber King.



The current terms also provide that the total cost of the project shall not exceed $10 million, with Travis County contributing 74% of the total funds and LTISD contributing 25%.



Superintendent Brad Lancaster said the district is hoping to see a lower total cost as the result of current negotiations with the Texas Department of Transportation.



The agreement also states that no further permits or approval from Bee Cave will be required for the construction of this project. This is the result of a June 18 interlocal agreement between Travis County and the city of Bee Cave naming the county as the sole authority over the project’s regulatory oversight. The agreement was in exchange for Bee Cave not providing any financial contribution to the project that falls within city limits.

According to Lancaster, construction could begin as early as October.