Travis County Commissioners terminated on July 17 its FM 1626 Pass-Through Finance Agreement–which had authorized the Texas Department of Transportation and the county to construct improvements to FM 1626 between Brodie Lane and Manchaca Road–effectively giving control of the project to TxDOT and authorized the project's transference to TxDOT's Unified Transportation Plan.

The proposed project–1.11 miles in length–consists of widening and reconstructing FM 1626 to a five lane section with a continuous left turn lane and shoulders. The updates would provide a more direct and efficient route for traffic heading into and out of Austin, according to Travis County documents.

Cost estimates for Travis County's portion of FM 1626 updates were developed in 2010, and the Texas Transportation Commission authorized the agreement in July 2011. In summer 2017, county public works staff identified funding shortfalls related to real estate, utility relocation and construction costs.

Improvements to FM 1626 between Brodie Lane and Manchaca Road are urgently needed, according to Travis County documents. FM 1626 serves regional transportation needs in northern Hays and southern Travis counties. Hays County improvements to FM 1626 south of Brodie Lane have diverted regional traffic through existing neighborhoods and "significantly affected" safety and quality of life on and around Brodie Lane and Manchaca Road, the document states.

The Texas Transportation Commission will vote on the Unified Transportation Plan at the commission's upcoming meeting at 9 a.m. on Aug. 30 at 125 E. 11th St., Austin.

MAP: FM 1626 Improvements