The city of Georgetown is working on two roadway projects that could ease congestion on Williams Drive at its intersection with I-35.

Plans for the extension of Rivery Boulevard from Williams Drive to Northwest Boulevard and a new bridge spanning I-35 along Northwest Boulevard are underway.

[The projects are important] first to alleviate congestion at Williams Drive and I-35, and second to open up that area for development and provide access to [The Summit at Rivery Park] conference center from the hotels on Northwest Boulevard, Georgetown Transportation Director Ed Polasek said. We could build [the projects] separately, but together they provide the most congestion relief and the most access to [Georgetown] High School and the conference center and hotels.

City Council approved the Rivery Boulevard extension alignment at its May 28 meeting. Funding for the roadways final design and right of way acquisition could be included in the Georgetown Transportation Enhancement Corp. 201415 budget, Polasek said.

In December the council approved a contract with Klotz and Associates to engineer the Northwest Boulevard bridge that will span I-35.

Polasek said funding for construction of both projects could be included in a bond proposal, which was first presented to City Council on Feb. 11. The list of projects being considered will be vetted through a community task force this year.

If approved by City Council, the bond election would most likely be in May 2015, Polasek said.

[Both projects] are dependent on some type of construction funding in the future, he said. We are doing as much as we can without having construction dollars available.

Both projects are considered priority projects, Polasek said.

Funding for the construction of the Rivery Boulevard extension could also potentially come from the areas Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, although Polasek said that was unlikely.

[The TIRZ] is not making much money, he said.

A third projecta northbound I-35 frontage road from Williams Drive to Lakeway Driveis also in the design phase.

Funding for the construction of that road could also be considered in the citys road bond proposal, he said.