Georgetown, Hutto and Taylor representatives presented possible road and park improvement and expansion projects to the Williamson County bond advisory committee at its May 23 meeting.

Ed Polasek, transportation services director for the City of Georgetown, presented three road project possibilities to the committee: a 3.25 mile Hwy. 29 bypass to Leander Road estimated to cost $22 million, that the city has already devoted $5.5 million for design, right-of-way acquisition and environmental permits; a $5 million two-lane, 3.8 mile frontage road for I-35 from Williams Drive to Lakeway Drive, the only stretch of I-35 without a frontage road under construction or being designed, Polasek said; and $19 million to widen D.B. Wood Drive to four lanes.

Kimberly Garrett, Georgetown Parks and Recreation Department director, requested $2.5 million for an approximately 1.25-mile hike and bike trail expansion from Booty's Road Park to Williams Drive. The project is expected to cost $3.5 million and the city said it would contribute $1 million. Garrett also requested $1.5 million for trail development in Garey Park, a 525 acre park the city does not yet own. Georgetown officials agreed to contribute $500,000 for the Garey Park trails project.

Hutto Assistant City Manager Micah Grau presented three road projects to the committee: a $10 million frontage road project around SH 130, that the City of Hutto will match 20 percent; a $10 million, 8,500 foot expansion of CR 119 that Hutto would match 10 percent; and widening and improvements to CR 101, that would require $20.5 million for a four-lane expansion and $15.75 for a three-lane expansion. The City of Hutto offered no match for the CR 101 project.

Mike Hemker, director of the Parks and Recreation Department for Hutto, spoke on two parks projects for the city: a $1.75 million project to connect the city to the Brushy Creek Regional Trail and approximately $4 million to develop Saul Property Park by adding RV site hookups, campsites and other amenities to land the city already owns.

Bob van Til, director of Planning and Development in Taylor, requested three road improvement projects and one trail expansion to the committee: $12 million to improve and widen CR 101 from Hwy. 79 to Chandler Drive; $4.2 million to improve CR 366; and $2.3 million to improve the drivability of CR 367 and North Drive.

On the parks side, van Til proposed expanding existing trails at the Bull Branch of Mustang Creek and adding amenities such as lighting and trash cans, estimated to cost around $880,000.

The bond advisory committee's next meeting is scheduled to take place Monday, June 10 at 6 p.m. at the Cedar Park Recreation Center Community Room.