Construction will progress in phases with the first improvements planned between Payton Gin Road and Rundberg Lane. These improvements are designed to make the roadway safer for pedestrians, cyclists and people driving cars, according to the city.
During the first phase of construction, city crews will add striping and install new buttons and flex posts to create temporary pedestrian crossing islands, according to Laura Dierenfield, Active Transportation Program manager for the city of Austin. The flex posts will be installed at the intersections at Colony Creek Drive and Woodfield Drive along Parkfield.
New road markings, protected bike lanes, protected left turn pockets and high-visibility crosswalks will also all be included in this first stage of construction, city plans show.
Dierenfield said that once this phase of construction is completed, city crews will expand the scope of the project to build pedestrian crossing islands around Wooldridge Elementary School.
Schematics from the city show crossing islands will be built at four intersections along Payton Gin.
Further crossing islands or raised crossings will be constructed closer to Wooldridge Elementary near the entrances of the school.
Dierenfield said construction of the crossing islands and other pedestrian improvements are scheduled to take place over the summer after the transportation department has finished with striping and marking Parkfield.
Parking will not be permitted along certain stretches of Parkfield during construction, and the city has erected temporary no-parking signs, according to transportation department documents. Once construction is complete, some designated on-street parking spots will be available on both sides of the road along the entire length of the mobility project.
Read more here.
SPEED BUMPS ADDED TO NORTH AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ROADS
A couple of roads in North Austin underwent improvements that will help calm traffic speeds on residential streets.
The city of Austin Transportation Department on May 24 started construction on a batch of speed management projects. Those projects include work on Blessing Avenue from Atkinson Road to Anderson Lane and on Provines Drive from Motheral Drive to Turner Drive.
These improvements added asphalt speed cushions throughout the length of the road work. Speed cushions help reduce excessive speeding on neighborhood streets, according to city materials.
Construction wrapped on both projects in mid-June.
Read more here.
ONGOING PROJECTS
RM 2222 Improvements
Traffic will be moved to the south side of RM 2222 in early July. Once traffic is switched, state crews will begin roadway work on the north side of RM 2222.
Timeline: Winter 2018-summer 2021
US 183 improvements
State crews will work to restripe roadway near the northbound US 183 exit for Burnet Road. This project is expected to be completed sometime in mid-July.
Timeline: Spring 2020-July 2021
