Council OKs 0.8-mile roadway to ease Brodie Lane bottleneck

Austin City Council approved a plan to widen a section of Davis Lane and realign the intersection of Davis and Brodie lanes to ease the amount of traffic that backs up at the intersection.

The council approved a roughly $4.5 million contract with Smith Contracting Co. Inc. during its June 20 meeting.

The portion of Davis Lane that is also known as Deer Lane is a two-lane road from Corran Ferry Drive to the intersection of Brodie Lane.

Drivers traveling east on Davis Lane who want to cross Brodie Lane must first drive north on Brodie before continuing east on Davis.

The council approved widening Davis Lane from two to four lanes east of Corran Ferry Drive. It also approved building a 0.8-mile extension north of Davis Lane to create a four-way intersection at Brodie Lane.

It will allow drivers on Davis Lane to cross Brodie Lane directly without going through an offset intersection.

"The proposed project is intended to increase mobility, decrease congestion and fuel consumption, and to improve air quality and safety in the area," according to city documents.

The funds are included in the city of Austin's Public Works Department's 2012–13 capital budget. Austin City Council approved the contract as part of its consent agenda.

The new four-lane roadway will have a raised center median, bike lanes and sidewalks, according to city documents.

Construction is expected to cost $4.29 million, while contingency funding for unforeseen costs adds $214,300.

The contract shall not exceed $4.5 million, according to the documents. The city's contract with Smith Contracting allows a year for construction.