On Feb. 5, the Texas Department of Transportation held a public meeting to share updates on construction projects along Loop 360, including removed traffic signals and new underpasses at Westlake Drive and Cedar Street.
The background
The meeting was hosted by TxDOT’s South Travis office, which is responsible for projects south of the Pennybacker Bridge, TxDOT engineer William Semora said during his presentation.
The Loop 360 project covers a 14-mile corridor from US 183 to US 290, and is funded by the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization as well as the city of Austin, through its 2016 mobility bond, according to previous reporting by Community Impact. The changes planned for Westlake Drive and Cedar Street are intended to reduce traffic and improve mobility along this stretch of Loop 360, according to Semora's presentation.
Part of Loop 360 is included on the Texas Transportation Institute’s Most Congested Roadways list, according to TxDOT’s website.
What’s happening?
At Westlake Drive and Cedar Street, traffic signals are being removed, and underpasses will be excavated and constructed so that main lanes on Loop 360 can run underneath newly constructed bridges, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
Phase 1 of this project, which entailed construction setup in June 2022, has been completed, Semora said. Phase 2, which entails constriction of new northbound and southbound frontage roads, as well as bicycle and pedestrian paths along Loop 360, to increase access to neighboring communities, is currently in progress.
Phase 3 will see new bridges constructed. The next step following the completion of the project’s current phase will be to begin digging for the main lanes. The amount of rock which will need to be cut out is approximately 155,000 cubic yards, Semora said.
What residents can expect
This spring, construction crews will work to finish the southbound frontage road, which will allow for further work, including excavation, to be done on main lanes.
TxDOT is currently working on securing a date for when the Westlake intersection will close. The contractor will have approximately 6 months to complete the construction of the Westlake bridge at that point, Semora said. The agency is targeting March or April for a closing date, though this is not guaranteed.
Once the Westlake bridge is complete and reopened, crews will move south to Cedar Street to essentially repeat the same process, Semora said. Cedar Street will be closed for approximately eight months while excavation work is done on the main lanes and bridge construction takes place.
What else?
The Westlake Drive and Cedar Street project’s final completion is estimated to occur sometime in mid-2026, Semora said.
Westlake Drive and Cedar Street are just two intersections included in TxDOT’s Loop 360 plan. Improvements will also be made to Lakewood Drive and Spicewood Springs Road, Courtyard Drive and RM 2222, among other intersections, according to TxDOT’s website.
Those interested in receiving more information about the project as it progresses can sign up on TxDOT’s project webpage to receive weekly email updates.
