Though construction is expected through 2026, progress can be seen along Oak Hill Parkway as crews opened access to a new bridge at the juncture of RM 1826 and Hwy. 290 in Southwest Austin.

The details

The first phase of the bridge opened in early March, enhancing access to Hwy. 290 and the ranch-to-market road. Currently, a single lane in each direction is open to vehicular traffic, while construction continues on the opposite side of the bridge.About the project

The Texas Department of Transportation is currently reconstructing Hwy. 290 from Oak Hill to Dripping Springs, transforming the existing four lane, undivided roadway to a six lane divided highway with both new frontage roads and 14 miles of shared-use paths.

New intersections will be constructed at Convict Hill Road, RM 1826, Scenic Brook Drive and Circle Drive where the highway will be sunken below the existing ground level and the cross street will remain at ground level.

In addition, an overpass for the Hwy. 290 mainlanes over William Cannon Drive will be built, along with new flyovers between Hwy. 290 and SH 71. At this location, the Hwy. 290 mainlanes will be lowered under SH 71.

The why

At present, this stretch of Hwy. 290 does not adequately accommodate current traffic volumes, resulting in congestion and reduced mobility.

Since 2010, daily traffic has increased by up to 50% and the number of vehicles traveling along Hwy. 290 is expected to increase by up to five times over the next 30 years, according to TxDOT documents.

Additionally, roughly one crash occurs every other day along the 13 mile length of highway. There were 1,245 crashes reported between 2016-2022, with 19 of those crashes being fatal and another 44 resulted in serious injuries.

The crash rate is more than 86% higher than the statewide average for rural corridors, TxDOT documents state.

Find additional information about the project here.