Officials from the Texas Department of Transportation, Williamson County and Round Rock gathered Jan. 11 to mark the completion of two major roadway projects along the I-35 corridor in Round Rock.

Work on the I-35 at FM 3406 intersection and the I-35 frontage road from RM 1431 to FM 3406 in Round Rock is effectively complete, and traffic is open on the roadways. The two projects, funded by TxDOT, cost a combined $21.6 million.

"This intersection used to be a nightmare, so this will definitely help mitigate some of our traffic congestion," Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Jan. 11.

The frontage road improvements on the southbound I-35 frontage road from RM 1431 to FM 3406 include an extended entrance and exit lane. That improvement helps to reduce vehicle weaving as drivers exit and enter I-35 along that stretch of roadway, according to TxDOT.

Additionally, a 10-foot-wide sidewalk for pedestrians and cyclists was added along the southbound I-35 frontage road from RM 1431 to FM 3406.

TxDOT district engineer Terry McCoy said the FM 3406 bridge was completed two months ahead of schedule. That bridge, located at the intersection of FM 3406 and I-35 frontage roads, extended the bridge and added two U-turn lanes for each direction. The project also added dedicated left-turn lanes on the bridge.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony concludes projects more than two years in the making. Work began on the I-35 southbound frontage roads improvements in November 2016, and the new FM 3406 bridge broke ground in March 2017.

According to a TxDOT news release, the projects are the fifth and sixth projects completed as part of the Mobility35 Program, which began in 2011. The TxDOT website shows there are 16 total projects in Williamson County that are part of the program.

One of those projects, which added braided exit and entrance ramps that stretch approximately from Gattis School Road to RM 620, was completed in September.