Major construction began Oct. 20 on FM 685 between Hwy. 79 and SH 130 in Hutto, one of the busiest and most flood-prone sections of roadway in the city.
The two-year project aims to make the road safer, improve traffic flow and end the need for road closures because of flooding in Brushy Creek.
Hutto Mayor Debbie Holland said the improvements could spur growth in southern Hutto and attract commercial developments to that section of FM 685.
"This is absolutely the biggest road project that has occurred in Hutto," Holland said.
$15 million project
The city of Hutto, the Texas Department of Transportation and Hutto ISD are cooperating on the project to widen FM 685, add a median, create turn lanes and upgrade the bridge over Brushy Creek, among other upgrades.
City of Hutto staffers designed the project, and TxDOT is managing the construction. Hutto ISD donated right of way near Hutto High School, which is located at the southeast intersection of Hwy. 79 and FM 685, Hutto City Engineer Matt Bushak said. OHL Contractors is the contractor for the project, according to TxDOT documents.
The project will cost about
$15 million. Hutto received a $14 million grant for the project from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. Another $1 million will come from city of Hutto funds, Bushak said.
The project will be divided in phases. Construction began on the southbound lanes first. Once the southbound portion of the road is finished, construction on northbound lanes begins, Bushak said.
One complicated aspect of the project will be constructing a northbound bridge and a southbound bridge that will each be 12 feet higher than the current bridge over Brushy Creek, Bushak said. Floodwaters from the creek have topped the bridge three times in the past six years, he said.
"They had to shut the bridge down, which cuts off not only traffic going over there, but emergency traffic has to be rerouted around [to] SH 130," Bushak said.
Potential growth corridor
Joey Grisham, Hutto Economic Development Corp. president, said FM 685 in Hutto could be more conducive to commercial development once improvements are made because it lacks adequate turn lanes.
"Most of your retailers want to be close to a major signal. It is about access to your business. If [a retail business] is not easy to get in and out of, then people will skip over it," Grisham said.
Grisham said by adding turn lanes and medians, FM 685 will become more attractive to long-term growth.
Another road project underway connecting Carl Stern Boulevard with the SH 130 frontage road should also spur development in the area, Grisham said.
The intersection of Carl Stern and FM 685 is a "prime corner," and there will likely be buildings constructed there after roadwork is finished, Grisham said.
Hutto has zoned the area west of FM 685 and north of Brushy Creek with a mix of zones allowing for a blend of residential, commercial and retail development, according to city documents.
"That really is going to be a game-changer for that whole area [with] the possibility and the attractiveness for commercial and retail development," Holland said, regarding the Carl Stern extension.
Officials hope for patience
Holland said safety was paramount when Hutto applied for its CAMPO grant. The city needed a safer roadway, one that would not close during a flood, she said.
According to statistics obtained from TxDOT, from Jan. 1, 2009 through July 2014 there were an average nearly two crashes per month on the portion of FM 685 undergoing work.
In that time period the total number of wrecks on that part of FM 685 is only slightly lower than the number of wrecks on the more heavily traveled Hwy. 79 in Hutto, according to TxDOT statistics.
There has been one fatal wreck on FM 685 in Hutto but none on Hwy. 79 in the city since 2009, according to TxDOT statistics.
Bushak said construction on the road will at times reduce traffic to one lane for each direction.
"There are going to be delays. It is unavoidable when you do construction," Bushak said. "But in the end the roadway is going to be able to carry more cars, and it is going to be much safer."
Holland said she hopes the city, HISD and TxDOT will communicate delays and alternate routes during construction in a timely and helpful manner.
"Patience is going to be a virtue that everyone is hopefully going to achieve," Holland said.
Riverwalk subdivision resident Lilly McVay said road improvements are sorely needed and will be worth the inconvenience.
McVay said the 2013 Halloween weekend floods washed cars off the bridge over Brushy Creek and stopped Riverwalk residents from exiting north on FM 685.
She also said residents sometimes wait 10 minutes to turn left onto FM 685.
"If it makes it safer and easier, then I'm all for [a median]," McVay said. "Hutto is kind of outgrowing itself."
