The project, dubbed the SH 45 “gap” project, would fill a nearly 4-mile gap of SH 45 between I-35 and RM 1626 near the Travis and Hays county line.
The most desired route selected by project managers will cause no residential or commercial displacements and has a shorter flood plain crossing over Onion and Garlic creeks.
Residents who were unable to attend the open house can still submit their feedback via email, mail, phone or text until Dec. 22. Details are available on the project website.
The backstory
SH 45 was originally pitched in the '80s as the “Outer Austin Parkway” that circled Austin; however, the full project was never realized due to financial constraints and environmental concerns, said Stacey Benningfield, the SH 45 project manager and longtime transportation professional.
“What has happened over time is that bits and pieces have been constructed,” Benningfield said. “This is the remaining gap. And it's just now rising to the point of being studied.”
The context
The SH 45 gap project has raised alarm bells from locals and Travis County leaders since a feasibility study was approved in August 2022.
Opponents of the project cited it would harm the Edwards Aquifer and reroute an influx of truck traffic on MoPac.
Benningfield said a portion of the roadway would be built over the aquifer’s transition zone, a less-sensitive area compared to the recharge zone where the western portion of SH 45 is already built. Benningfield and her team are still researching how to build the roadway in the most “environmentally sensitive” way possible. If the project advances to the next planning stage, it will undergo 3-5 years of environmental studies and investigations.
What’s next
In the coming months, Benningfield and her team will undergo a traffic impact analysis to understand how filling the gap will impact traffic on MoPac and other local roadways. The study will be completed in late spring or early summer 2024 and be presented to the public at a third open house.
