The Texas Department of Transportation, joined by leaders from Buda, Kyle and Hays County, broke ground Oct. 27 on a project that will extend Robert S. Light Boulevard. The extension will provide a connection from I-35 to FM 1626 and will be done by JC Companies, LLC contractors.

Hays County Commissioner Mark Jones said this project has been in the works for six years. After the initial groundbreaking Oct. 14 was postponed due to heavy rain, the project is finally underway.

“The construction is not what takes longer; getting to construction is what takes the time,” Jones said.

With so much growth, Jones said the roads are taking on more than they can handle, and he hopes this will alleviate 75% of the traffic on FM 967.

“This will provide a safe and efficient route to move many of these vehicles from the downtown area of Buda,” TxDOT Austin District EngineerTucker Ferguson said. “It’ll also provide direct connection between FM 1626 and I-35 to reduce travel times.”

As FM 1626 reached completion and was connected to SH 45, an average of up to 20,000 cars are on the road, Buda Mayor Lee Urbanovsky said.

“Traffic is like water, it finds a way,” Urbanovsky said.

Robert S. Light Boulevard will be extended for approximately two miles from the Poco Loco Market at the corner of South Loop 4 to FM 1626. The road will have two travel lanes in each direction, and overpasses will be built to accommodate railroads and other cross streets.

The project is estimated to cost $17.7 million, and completion is projected for early 2024.