The Texas Department of Transportation on Aug. 26 hosted a virtual meeting to preview proposed improvements at the congested Northwest Austin intersection as well as collect feedback from the public.
According to slides presented by TxDOT, acquisition of nearby land for right of way will not start until spring 2023 with an anticipated construction start date in 2027 at the earliest.
The proposed improvements at RM 620 and Anderson Mill do not have allocated funds for construction. In 2020, the project was stripped of $25 million after the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization voted to redirect those funds to help pay for the upcoming I-35 redesign.
The project will likely utilize state and federal funding that mandates environmental review, according to the TxDOT presentation.
If the project moves forward, the proposed improvements include elevated bypass lanes at the RM 620 and Anderson Mill intersection. According to early schematics for the project, the elevated bridge will run along
RM 620 from just south of Anderson Mill to just north of El Salido Parkway. The project will also add frontage roads and shared-use paths.
TxDOT anticipates congestion at the intersection to steadily increase. According to numbers presented by the state agency Aug. 26, the average daily traffic count at the RM 620 and Anderson Mill intersection is expected to grow by 14% by 2025, up to 49,600 daily drivers. By 2045, that number is expected to be 67,000.
Final schematics on the project will be completed by the end of fall 2022, according to TxDOT.
TxDOT temporarily stops tree removal on Oak Hill Parkway
The Texas Department of Transportation temporarily halted tree removal for its Oak Hill Parkway construction. It had previously identified iconic trees that would not be removed due to their “size, location or local history.”
In a notice to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on July 30, TxDOT said that it voluntarily stopped clearing trees and brush until the preliminary injunction hearing Sept. 12. According to a TxDOT spokesperson, project construction remains on schedule.
Opponents who say the Oak Hill Parkway project will negatively impact the environment celebrated the move.
REGIONAL PROJECTS
Utility work on Hamilton Pool Road
Utility crews are moving natural gas lines to prepare for a $13.7 million road widening under the direction of the Texas Department of Transportation. The project will extend from Hwy. 12 to Hwy. 71, according to TxDOT.
Timeline: 2021-TBD
183 North project
Design continues on a 9-mile project that will add tolled lanes and nontolled lanes in each direction along US 183 from MoPac to SH 45 N/RM 620, according to the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority.
Timeline: 2022-26
