Lakeway bridge replacement on schedule

The exit ramp for Lakeway Drive off northbound I-35 was realigned about half a mile south of N.E. Inner Loop to give more space between the exit ramp and the traffic signal at the Austin Avenue intersection, Reyna said.

While the quarter-mile stretch of N.E. Inner Loop is closed, motorists must detour to Old Airport Road, or CR 151, according to a TxDOT news release.

A 2011 news release from the city of Georgetown called the current bridge a "functionally obsolete two-lane structure" that was built "at a skewed angle [with] steep inclines that limit sight distances."

The replacement of the Lakeway Drive bridge faced delays in December 2012 when the original contractor, Ballenger Construction Co., went bankrupt. However, Chasco Constructors of Round Rock took over the project in April of this year, and the bridge is still anticipated to be completed in October.

While the bridge is expected to improve access to Georgetown High School, city officials have also said safety concerns were a primary reason to replace the bridge.

Once completed, the new bridge will have six lanes, including one dedicated left-turn lane in each direction, to help accommodate traffic growth in the area, Reyna said.

The bridge will also serve as an alternate to using Williams Drive to access downtown Georgetown, Transportation Services Director Ed Polasek said.

Polasek also said he did not anticipate the construction would have an impact on GHS traffic when school starts again in August.

"When it's done, it's going to double [traffic flow] over that intersection," Polasek said. "It will also kind of open the northwest corridor for development potential and provide improved access to downtown and to the airport."

The total cost of the bridge replacement is estimated to be $10.25 million, including

$2 million from TxDOT for utility relocations, $5.75 million in federal funding and $2.5 million from the Georgetown Transportation Enhancement Corp.