What we reported

The $204 million MoPac Improvement Project includes adding one express, or toll, lane in each direction between Parmer Lane and Cesar Chavez Street. The project broke ground in October 2013 and was supposed to open in fall 2015. However, several setbacks delayed the opening. The first section on the northbound side between RM 2222 and Parmer opened last October. The variable toll increases as traffic in the express and main lanes increases to keep the lanes flowing and decreases as traffic declines to encourage use.

The latest

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority reported between 18,000 and 19,000 weekly toll transactions on the new express lane segment in late 2016. The toll increased to a maximum of $0.75 during peak afternoon hours and is generally around $0.50. Paving on the Steck Avenue bypass lane also finished in late December, and the lane is now open.

What’s next

Road widening on southbound MoPac from US 183 to RM 2222 continues as well as work on the northbound and southbound express lane underpasses near Lady Bird Lake. Other construction work includes installing sound walls between Lady Bird Lake and RM 2222, installing lighting and concrete traffic barriers between RM 2222 and Lady Bird Lake, and painting concrete structures. The Mobility Authority expects to open the entire project in the first half of 2017. Once the lanes open, the city’s transit agency, Capital Metro, will reroute its Express bus service to use the new MoPac express lanes to provide increased service for riders.