Work is on schedule for a five-phase Texas Department of Transportation project to improve mobility and safety in the Hwy. 71 corridor from Southwest Parkway to just north of Hwy. 290, said Victor Vargas, TxDOT South Travis/Hays County area engineer.

When complete, parts of the project area will consist of five lanes, including a center left-turn lane, shoulders and new striping, he said.

The SH 71 Improvement Project, a $15.9 million undertaking, is on track to be completed by late spring or early summer 2016, Vargas said. 

“State Hwy. 71 is a major corridor for motorists traveling in Austin and out to the Hill Country, and in fact from 2012 the average daily traffic for this portion of [Hwy.] 71 from [Hwy.] 290 to Southwest Parkway was about 39,000 vehicles a day. This area has continued to grow towards the west,” he said. 

The roadwork aims to improve the corridor of Hwy. 71 and traffic from Hwy. 290 to Serene Hills as well as traffic past the Bee Cave area, Vargas said.

A history of collisions in the area was factored into the project’s design, he said, noting there were crashes along the road, and new safety features, such as reflective striping and guardrails at bridges, could help improve safety.

TxDOT spokesperson Kelli Reyna said the center left-turn lane will also improve through traffic and safety.

“We know that there are always delays,” she said. “ … We just want to thank the drivers for their patience as we continue to work on this project.”

Roadwork details, timeline

Phase 1 took place from June 2014 to March 2015 on the north side of the corridor between Southwest Parkway and Thomas Springs Road. It consisted of adding a signal at the Southwest Parkway intersection as well as raising the level of the roadway, widening shoulders and restriping.

Phase 2 took place from March 2015 to September 2015 between Southwest Parkway and Thomas Springs Road. Hwy. 71 had been reduced to two lanes since March to complete that work, which also consisted of raising the level of the roadway, widening shoulders and restriping.

Work started in September 2015 on Phase 3, which involved adding shoulders to both sides of the road as well as a center left-turn lane between Thomas Springs Road and Covered Bridge Drive. That phase was completed in November 2015.

Construction on Phase 4 began in mid-October for the area from Silvermine Drive to just south of Scenic Brook. That work, which is underway, involves adding shoulders and continuous center turn lanes, Vargas said. Phase 4 is anticipated to be completed by spring 2016, according to TxDOT’s current schedule.

The final phase will consist of repaving and striping the road from Southwest Parkway to just north of Hwy. 290, Vargas said.

All work should wrap up by late spring or early summer 2016,
according to TxDOT.

The project was approved by the Federal Highway Administration on June 3, 2009, and was let, or opened to contractors for bids, Nov. 5, 2013.

The delay before the project was let was because of financing and plan development. The time between letting and beginning of work was a result of the migratory bird season and nesting of the golden-cheeked warbler, according to TxDOT. Crews could not begin work until after the nesting season was over, which was in early June, Reyna said.