After two years of studying solutions to congestion on Loop 360 between US 183 and Ben White Boulevard, the Texas Department of Transportation announced today one of those solutions will include intersection overpasses.

TxDOT began the Loop 360 improvement study in late 2014 to work with area residents and stakeholders and develop various concepts. The result was nine different scenarios, including a no-build option, intersection improvements, adding one lane in each direction, intersection overpasses and transforming the road into a four-lane freeway with four lanes of access roads, Project Manager Bruce Byron said.

The agency is also cognizant that many residents care about the aesthetics of the roadway, and Byron said the design for grade-separated intersections, which involves building over- and underpasses, would also require public input.

“Fifty-five percent of people who responded to the survey volunteered the fact that eliminating the traffic lights is the best solution,” he said. “The more we get into the design, we’ll pay attention a lot to the elevation of the main lanes.”

Proposed scenarios

Byron said no one solution will aid congestion on Loop 360 so TxDOT is proposing to incorporate several options. The first is to build bypasses at each intersection, similar to the existing intersections at RM 2222 and RM 2244/Bee Caves Road.

“This would eliminate all traffic lights except at 183 and South MoPac,” Byron said.

TxDOT would also leave enough room in the center median to add a third lane in both directions. Eventually, Byron said, TxDOT would create several flyovers, or direct connectors, from Loop 360 to US 183 and Ben White.

In the short term, the agency is looking at what projects could provide some immediate relief, such as restriping work recently completed at Bee Caves Road and Loop 360.

Byron said an eight-lane freeway is not likely because of the difficulty in building that option.

“The problem with going to eight lanes where you have access roads on both sides is you end up having to cut substantially where cliffs are present or if you have a valley you have to fill it in,” he said.

Next steps

TxDOT will next complete the conceptual schematic, which will look at how the different scenarios work together based on criteria, such as cost, constructability, safety, mobility, aesthetics and environmental impacts.

During this phase, TxDOT will also begin prioritizing which intersections to add grade separation to first based on how much relief it would provide, Byron said. TxDOT would not build grade separations all at once, he said.

“You can only disrupt traffic so much,” he said.

TxDOT will host additional public meetings for residents and stakeholders to weigh in.

To get the projects through the conceptual phase, environmental and design will take about five years, Byron said. TxDOT plans to have several projects ready for construction in case funding becomes available.

TxDOT will release the full Loop 360 report Friday online at www.loop360study.org.