Detours and orange barrel-lined streets have created challenges for downtown Round Rock drivers the last two years.


But city of Round Rock officials insist long-term improvement efforts are nearly complete.


“We expect the project to be substantially complete probably around the end of October,” Round Rock Transportation Director Gary Hudder said.


Hudder said the city is about four months ahead of schedule on a sidewalk improvement project that was included in Round Rock’s downtown master plan. The project is the last of a $13 million, more than two-year effort to revitalize the central core.



Road improvements


Downtown arterial roadways were widened and resurfaced to create smoother transitions into downtown from Mays Street.


Main Street also underwent some changes, including the removal of a median east of Mays to create more room to extend the existing left-turn lane to allow for better traffic flow during peak travel times.


And west of Mays a roundabout was installed at Blair Street and Round Rock Avenue to promote continuous traffic flow and alleviate congestion.


“All of the components of this project, from demolition to utility work to paving, progressed as smoothly and quickly as possible, which has allowed for an earlier completion date than was originally anticipated,” Round Rock Downtown Manager Courtney Ainsworth said.



More to come


As part of the overall downtown master plan, McNeil Road will be extended east of the Mays bridges to create a bypass to the downtown area.


Currently, when entering downtown Round Rock from McNeil, traffic is forced through a narrow underpass below the Mays bridge. The extension will eliminate the existing underpass and will instead provide a wider, direct underpass just south of the existing route and extend the road eastward along the south edge of the Builders Gypsum Supply property on Bagdad Street.


“The overarching goals of the project were to improve walkability for patrons and to deter pass-through traffic through the heart of our downtown,” Ainsworth said. “We look forward to a more functional and aesthetically pleasing streetscape for downtown businesses and their patrons.”



Housing project


Just north of the future McNeil extension, townhomes will fill a property formerly occupied by Builders Gypsum Supply.


InTown Homes, a Houston-based urban development firm, plans to build approximately 80 upscale townhomes on the lot. Once design plans are solidified with the city, InTown Homes intends to begin construction in spring 2017, according to David Foor, the company’s vice president.



Adding a memorial


The city decided to also incorporate some history into the improvement plans by creating a memorial.


The lampposts on the Mays bridge are painted green, and green and gold stripes also adorn the walls of the bridge to represent Baylor University and the Immortal Ten, a group of students who died when a train collided with their bus while traveling to a men’s basketball game in 1927.


A plaque will also be affixed to the newly installed arch to memorialize the incident.