Transportation Updates




Transportation Updates East Whitestone Boulevard pass-through project[/caption]

1. East Whitestone Boulevard pass-through project
The city of Cedar Park, the Texas Department of Transportation and Williamson County are collaborating on a project to rebuild East Whitestone Boulevard into a six-lane, divided roadway between Market Street and CR 175/Sam Bass Road. Fourteen out of the 26 work days in May had rain, meaning crews had 12 days in May to work on the project, said Jennie Huerta, media and communications manager with the city of Cedar Park. The rain delayed crews during the process of widening the road from four to six lanes and lengthening turn lanes on Whitestone to Toro Grande Drive, as well as Raley Road and Sam Bass, Huerta said. Because of rain delays, completion of the project is scheduled for September. As of      July 7, construction was ongoing on the median area between Market and Toro Grande. The project also includes a rebuilt intersection of Whitestone and Parmer Lane/Ronald Reagan Boulevard. Upon completion the new intersection will be a continuous-flow intersection.
Timeline: August 2014-September 2016
Cost: $22 million
Funding sources: city of Cedar Park (TxDOT will reimburse 80 percent of actual construction costs), Williamson County


2. Little Elm Trail extension
The city of Cedar Park is filling in existing gaps on Little Elm Trail between Lakeline Boulevard and US 183, Huerta said. The project includes right-turn lanes on southbound US 183, Lakeline and the existing portion of Little Elm. The city is in the process of road base, curb and gutter, and sidewalk construction through the Red Oaks subdivision. Elsewhere, the underground utility phase of construction continues, which includes the installation of stormwater, sewage, water, electric and gas lines.
Timeline: December 2015-early 2017
Cost: $7.06 million
Funding sources: city of Cedar Park ($2.98 million); Cedar Park Community Development Corp., also known as the 4B Board ($550,000); Williamson County ($3.53 million)

3. Cypress Creek Road/Lakeline Boulevard intersection upgrades
The project includes extended dual left-turn lanes and widened existing left- and right-turn lanes on north- and southbound Lakeline Boulevard, which includes adding a lane to a bridge on Lakeline. As of July 7 construction of the improvements on Cypress Creek Road is complete, and the bridge expansion on Lakeline is also complete. Crews are adding medians to Lakeline, and the final phase will involve paving and striping Lakeline. The additional left-turn lanes on both eastbound and westbound Cypress Creek will open once the ends of the medians on Lakeline are modified.
Timeline: June 2015-July 2016
Cost: $2.2 million
Funding sources: city of Cedar Park, Williamson County




Transportation Updates Old FM 2243[/caption]

4. Old FM 2243
The city of Leander is widening Old FM 2243 from two to five lanes, including a center lane, between US 183 and a location west of North Lakeline Boulevard. On July 8 City Engineer Wayne Watts said Old FM 2243 would close the week of July 12 so construction crews could widen the roadway between Bagdad Cemetery and commercial driveways. He said there was still access to local businesses in the area, though cars were not able to drive from US 183 to North Bagdad Road. Watts said construction crews are finalizing the locations of dry utilities in July, and the relocation of wet utilities, such as water and wastewater lines, were completed. When dry utility locations are completed, Watts said construction crews will prepare for the installation of the base of the road on the east and west ends of the project.
Timeline: Jan. 4, 2016-October or November 2017
Cost: $24 million (estimated)
Funding sources: city of Leander, Williamson County (50 percent or up to $9.15 million)


5.  North Bagdad Road expansion
Construction crews are widening North Bagdad Road from two to five lanes, which includes a center turn lane, between Old FM 2243 and Collaborative Way. Watts said the project has been redesigned and reduced in scale slightly, largely because of rising construction costs that have been higher than what was estimated during the planning phase. As drivers travel north on Bagdad, the road will transition from five to three lanes, and then it will transition to two lanes north of San Gabriel Parkway. The project will include new storm sewers, sidewalks and utilities on both sides of the road. The project is expected to go out for bid in August, but the sidewalk project will be bid upon separately since the county obtained funds from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, Watts said. Construction could begin on the project in late September or early October.
Timeline: late September or early October 2016-March 2018
Cost: $13 million (estimated)
Funding sources: city of Leander, Williamson County (50 percent or up to $4.9 million)


Transportation Updates