Roads
1. Loop 360 Texas Department of Transportation is considering extending a mobility study of the roadway between MoPac in North Austin and Hwy. 290 in South Austin. In October, TxDOT closed a community survey that asked residents to rank the problems and proposed solutions to traffic congestion. Respondents identified decreased congestion and more reliable travel times as top priorities. TxDOT will release a draft report in the spring for additional public input. Timeline: late 2014-mid-2016 Cost: $1.27 million 2. Oak Hill Parkway TxDOT and the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority are conducting an environmental study on traffic solutions for the Hwy. 71 and Hwy. 290 intersection. The project team is refining two concepts and a no-build option and plans to hold a workshop in early 2016. The study is slated to be complete in 2017.AIRPORTS
3. Austin Bergstrom International Airport In July, the airport completed construction on an expansion of the upper level that connects the terminal and the airport’s east wing. The expansion added two new luggage carousels. In October the airport opened a new rental car facility. New nonstop flights added in 2015 connect travelers to Toronto, Miami, Portland, St. Louis, Orlando and Memphis. Projects in 2016 include a nine-gate terminal expansion and new parking. 4. Austin Executive Airport After finishing a new community hangar in 2014, the Plugerville-based airport did not pursue additional developments in 2015. The airport continues to assess business and community needs and has about 100 aircraft based on-site, Manager Jodie Kaluza said.5. Georgetown Municipal Airport In 2015 the airport proposed building a new fuel facility, a project that would replace existing in-ground fuel tanks with two new above-ground tanks that would have self-serve pumps. TxDOT finished an environmental assessment study for the project.
6. San Marcos Regional Airport Director of Marketing and Administration Cassidy Berenato said the airport’s 2015 rebuilding of Runway 13/31 experienced delays because of flooding. In January the work should be finished. Two more projects could begin in 2016—installing a parking lot as well as a safety fence and new access gates along Airport Drive. In 2014 the city of San Marcos appropriated $100,000 for the new parking lot, and TxDOT appropriated $350,000 for the fence and gates.
I-35
The following projects in TxDOT’s Mobility 35 program will be funded in fiscal years 2014-15 and 2015-16 through the state’s Proposition 1, which voters approved in November 2014.
7. Hwy. 79 to SH 45N Braided ramps will eliminate weaving movements as vehicles attempt to merge on northbound I-35. The northbound and southbound frontage road intersections at I-35 and US 79 will be reconstructed, and a third left-turn lane from westbound Hwy. 79 to southbound I-35 will be added. Timeline: spring 2016-spring 2018 Cost: $28.1 million
8. Stassney Lane to William Cannon Drive The bridges at Stassney and William Cannon and the frontage road bridge over Williamson Creek will be reconstructed. U-turns will also be added at Stassney and William Cannon, and the main I-35 lanes will be widened to incorporate shoulders and extended entrance and exit lanes. Timeline: spring 2016-winter 2019-20 Cost: $79 million
9. Slaughter Creek overpass The existing Slaughter Creek overpass will be replaced with a new bridge, and a U-turn bridge will be added. The project will also widen the southbound frontage road to two lanes near the overpass and install safety lighting from Slaughter to Onion Creek Parkway. Timeline: spring 2016-summer 2017 Cost: $9.2 million
10. RM 150 to Blanco River One new off ramp will be added, and five existing on and off ramps will be modified between RM 150 and the Blanco River to improve safety and access. Timeline: spring 2016-winter 2016 Cost: $9 million
11. RM 1431 to FM 3406 The project modifies two ramps on southbound I-35 and improves the southbound frontage road between RM 1431 and FM 3406. Timeline: will be sent for bidding in summer 2016 Cost: estimated $10.7 million
12. 51st Street intersection The project adds a collector-distributor road, or bypass lane, to allow southbound through-traffic to avoid the traffic signal at 51st street. A new roundabout will be added to the intersection with the southbound frontage road. Bicycle and pedestrian facilities will also be improved along the southbound frontage road. Timeline: will be sent for bidding in summer 2016 Cost: estimated $20.6 million
13. Oltorf Street The Oltorf and I-35 interchange will be improved and reconstructed from south of Woodland Avenue to Woodward Street. Improvements will include the reconstruction of the Oltorf bridge, improved entrance and exit ramps and frontage roads, extended entrance and exit lanes for main lanes and ramps, and the addition of U-turns. Bicycle and pedestrian facilities will also be improved along both frontage roads. Timeline: will be sent for bidding in summer 2016 Cost: $54.5 million
Toll Roads
The Mobility Authority and TxDOT are proposing or building several tolled projects throughout the region.
14. MoPac South This project will create two express lanes in each direction from Cesar Chavez Street to Slaughter Lane. TxDOT and the Mobility Authority are currently performing an environmental study for the project and anticipate results in late 2016. Timeline: TBD Cost: $480 million-$540 million
15. MoPac North This project is under construction and includes widening the existing roadway to add one express lane in each direction from Parmer Lane to Cesar Chavez. The project includes two grade-separated connections from the express lanes to Cesar Chavez. Timeline: October 2013-late 2016 Cost: $204 million
16. SH 71 The project is under construction and consists of the addition of one tolled lane in each direction with an overpass at FM 973. The project extends about 4 miles from Presidential Boulevard to SH 130. Timeline: early 2015-June 2016 Cost: $140 million
17. SH 45 SW This project will extend from Loop 1 to FM 1626, consists of four main lanes and includes an at-grade intersection at FM 1626, an overpass at Bliss Spillar Road, and a grade-separated interchange at Loop 1. Timeline: tentative April 2016 letting Cost: $109 million
18. 183 North This project will include two express lanes in each direction and an additional general purpose lane from RM 620/SH 45 N to Loop 1. TxDOT is performing an environmental study for the project, and officials anticipate results in winter 2016. Timeline: 2019 tentative letting date Cost: $650 million
19. 183 South This proposed project will improve the existing four-lane divided roadway with signalized intersections to a tolled six-lane controlled-access facility with grade separations and six-lane access roads. The project extends from Hwy. 290 south to Hwy. 71. Timeline: construction expected to begin in spring 2016 Cost: $743 million
Project connect and transit
Project Connect
Project Connect is a regional mass transit plan spearheaded by Capital Metro, the city of Austin and the Lone Star Rail District. It launched in 2013 with studies of two transportation corridors identified as top priorities.
North Corridor Since the completion of the North Corridor Study in 2014, Capital Metro representatives have been meeting with stakeholders in the area—such as Pflugerville, Hutto, and Georgetown—and assisting with the development of local transit development plans. A Capital Metro representative said it is important for cities in the North Corridor to develop their own local plans before collaborating on the funding and implementation of Project Connect initiatives.
Central Corridor After Austin voters rejected a $1 billion urban rail bond measure in 2014 that was based off Project Connect recommendations, Project Connect partners decided to gather more public input on Austin transportation needs and conduct another Central Corridor study to identify high-capacity transit options, a representative said.
Transit
MetroRail Capital Metro is continuing design work on several planned upgrades to its MetroRail commuter line. The transit agency received a $50 million grant from TxDOT and an $11.3 million federal grant to improve the line and boost frequency and ridership. Capital Metro will finish relocating tracks near Plaza Saltillo in March and will begin construction in late 2016 on three sidings, or additional tracks, near rail stations to allow for more frequent service, said Todd Hemingson, vice president of strategic planning and development. The agency will finish final design and environmental clearance in 2016 on the new downtown station near the Austin Convention Center, and the station will open in early 2018.
MetroRapid In June, Capital Metro launched its Frequent Service Network to provide more convenient service and better connectivity on five of its bus routes. Hemingson said three months later, three of those routes had already met projected ridership increases. Capital Metro will wait until its Connections 2025 service plan is completed in late 2016 before determining what other bus routes it could add to the FSN.
