South Austin work on Menchaca Road wrapping soon, but FM 1626 job to continue through 2022

The Texas Department of Transportation broke ground on an effort to widen the southern end of Menchaca Road in December 2019, and the project is nearing the finish line.

According to TxDOT, the $11.94 million project will widen a 1.1-mile stretch of Menchaca Road—referred to as FM 2304 in South Austin by TxDOT—to four traffic lanes with a center turn lane between Ravenscroft Drive and FM 1626. TxDOT will also construct bicycle lanes and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant sidewalks and curb ramps.

Although construction is ongoing, TxDOT spokesperson Bradley Wheelis said work is on track to be completed by the end of the spring, weather permitting. Crews are still installing noise walls and storm sewers along the road and crosswalks at the Frate Barker Lane intersection. TxDOT is also completing tie-in work with the FM 1626 intersection at the southern end of the road, Wheelis said.

Ongoing work on a separate project on FM 1626 will continue past when the Menchaca project is finished. Wheelis said the FM 1626 widening project is currently on track to be finished by mid-2022.

The $9.4 million project will widen 1.3 miles of FM 1626 from its current two-lane configuration to a five-lane roadway with a continuous center turn lane, according to TxDOT. It will also add a pedestrian sidewalk and a wider shoulder along the roadway from just east of Menchaca to just west of Brodie Lane.

Current work includes sewer installation and preparation for bridge improvements near Brodie, which will begin in May, Wheelis said. Crews will also begin construction culverts across the road, with overnight work taking place in May, he said.

The TxDOT changes on FM 2304 are unrelated to the city of Austin’s corridor-wide effort to improve mobility along 8 miles of Menchaca with funding from the 2016 mobility bond.