When completed, RM 620 will be widened from four lanes to six lanes; it will also be reconfigured from a continuous center turn lane to a raised median with limited left turns.
While the RM 620 project is designed to enhance regional mobility in western Travis County, it will also have significant impacts on the Lakeway area, according to the report.
The first of several reports on the impact to businesses and residents along the corridor was presented during a Lakeway City Council special meeting on Dec. 5.
“This has been well over a year in the making to get us to this part,” Lakeway Mayor Thomas Kilgore said. “It’s essential that we continue the work that we’ve done over the last year.”
There are five tasks that must be completed for the overlay project to move forward, Lakeway Senior Planner Charlie Sullivan said. The first of the tasks, to define the corridor and summarize the impacts, was presented to council on Dec. 5. The final task is slated to be completed by June 2024, Sullivan said.
There is also currently no timeline for when construction on the RM 620 widening project may start.
“TxDOT is concentrating first on the I-35 project,” Sullivan said. “With that prioritization, they themselves cannot say exactly when this project is going to happen.”
The immediate goals of the city, as identified by the report, will be updating the city code to accommodate the road expansion and smooth the process for properties to come into conformance with the code, as some properties may already be “grandfathered” into their zoning district, according to city documents.
“We should keep in mind that this project may not happen for some time,” Council Member Sanjeev Kumar said. “Our plan should take that into consideration, this might give us another tool to invite the development we are looking for, even in the absence of [RM 620] widening.”
