The Round Rock City Council approved a $7.2 million contract for the reconstruction of Chisholm Trail Road May 24, reigniting a project that had long been on hold to accommodate a potential retail development.

However, said a project representative, a development is still in the works.

Development delayed

Representatives for Highland Resources—a development company that owns nearly 140 acres around Chisholm Trail Road south of FM 3406—had approached city officials in late 2010 to try to accommodate a potential retail center, a move that could have meant bending Chisholm Trail further to the west around the property.

But when no development materialized and the city began a major roadway construction push with its five-year transportation plan, the city opted to move forward with the project.

"We wanted to accommodate the developer as much as possible, but we couldn't wait forever," Round Rock Transportation Planner John Dean said.

Originally, plans had called for Chisholm Trail Road to be reconstructed in two phases, a north section and a south section. The south section would have been unaffected by any development, but the northern section could have been curved west away from I-35 around the property.

A development of some kind, however, appears to still be a possibility.

"We're still working on it. There was no reason to delay [the road.]" said David Bodenman, who represents the property for Highland Resources.

"We're working with the city and moving forward, albeit slowly," he said.

Chisholm Trail project

The contract approved by the city allows Cash Construction Co. to move forward with the reconstruction of Chisholm Trail Road into a five-lane roadway as soon as June.

The project will also connect Chisholm Parkway to Chisholm Trail Road from the I-35 frontage road.

The $7.2 million project is expected to take up to 12 months, Dean said, but that timeline could change slightly depending on if the city opts to close down the road for some period of time.

Dean said the city has yet to determine if the road will be closed to through traffic at any point, but that local and school traffic had to be accommodated first.

Cash Construction Co. was the low bidder out of four companies who vied for the project. Bids ranged from the low of $7.2 million to nearly $8.3 million.