North Central Austin Edition | March 2025

The nal stretch From the cover

Zooming in

What’s happening?

Shared-use paths & sidewalks

POND SPRINGS RD.

The 183 North Mobility Project is in its third year of construction ahead of a targeted completion date of 2026. The project was rst launched in 2013 by the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority and Texas Department of Transportation. The $612 million project aims to relieve congestion along 183 North—the 9-mile section of road between MoPac and SH 45— by adding two toll lanes in each direction that will connect to the existing tolls on MoPac and 183A in Cedar Park. The project also added a fourth nontolled northbound and southbound lane, which opened last year, and is working to improve shared-use paths along the corridor for bikes and pedestrians. In partnership with CapMetro, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, and Travis and Williamson county governments, the project is being funded through TxDOT, a federal loan and toll revenue bonds. A 2024 TxDOT analysis reported 183 North as the 90th most congested roadway in Texas, causing an annual congestion cost of $31 million. Austin’s population has also grown by about 111,000 people since the project’s inception over a decade ago, plus more people moving farther north to areas like Cedar Park and Leander, Mobility Authority Director of Engineering Mike Sexton said. Without the project, average peak travel times could reach nearly an hour in each direction by 2035, per data from the project’s environmental study. An average of 50,000 to 90,000 vehicles already travel in each direction per day on the road, said Sylvia Shelton, Mobility Authority assistant director of communications. 145,000 130,000 115,000 100,000 0 Average number of vehicles per day Trac on 183 North Over 100,000 vehicles traveled north and south on US 183 North daily over 10 years.

45 TOLL

Shared-use path connections New sidewalks

Pedestrian underpass

SPICEWOOD SPRINGS RD.

Existing main lanes Existing frontage roads

BARRINGTON WAY

Minor roads Existing bike lanes Existing sidewalks Existing crossings

JOLLYVILLE RD.

POND SPRINGS RD.

SPICEWOOD SPRINGS RD.

BARRINGTON WAY

183

Express lane connections

New 183 North collector-distributor New 183 North express lanes Existing MoPac express lanes Existing frontage roads Existing main lanes Minor roads

MOPAC

STECK AVE.

SPICEWOOD SPRINGS RD.

ANDERSON LN.

FAR WEST BLVD.

SPICEWOOD SPRINGS RD.

NOTE: THE AVERAGE ANNUAL DAILY TRAFFIC COUNTS REPRESENT THE AVERAGE OF SIX TRAFFIC COUNTERS LOCATED ALONG 183 NORTH. SOURCE: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONCOMMUNITY IMPACT

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM