TRANSPORTATION
Updates on key projects
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OTHER PROJECTS TO FOLLOW IN 2022
TOP STORIES TO WATCH IN 2022
HWY. 71 ALTERNATIVE
The city of Bee Cave will study an alternative route to Hwy. 71 from Del Dios Way to Hamilton Pool Road and on to Bee Caves Road. City sta identi ed seven segments in the study area. 1 Brown Property 2 Village of Spanish Oaks 3 Shops at the Galleria
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Vail Divide extension Progress will continue throughout 2022 to extend Vail Divide south and reduce tra c congestion at Hamilton Pool Road and Hwy. 71. The next step will build a bridge connecting from the end of Vail Divide to the existing roadway over Little Barton Creek to provide additional access to Lake Travis ISD’s Bee Cave Middle School, according to district documents. The project is estimated to take about a year with work beginning in January following the completion of the contract and coordination with Travis County and the Texas Department of Transportation, said Robert Winovitch, director of facilities and construction for LTISD. The bid will be paid for out of the Vail Divide Capital Projects fund. Timeline: January 2022-early 2023 Cost: $6.6 million Funding source: Lake Travis ISD
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SOURCE: CITY OF BEE CAVE COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER MAP NOT TO SCALE N
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Bee Cave to study creating alternative toHwy. 71 BY GREG PERLISKI
The council vote came after council members heard from residents who said they were concerned about the e ect the overall plan would have on residents of the Homestead, a neighborhood just south of the proposed roadway’s corridor. A common theme from public comments was that the road would become a bypass to avoid tra c lights on Hwy. 71 rather than serve as a connection to local businesses for residents in the immediate area. “I would want to know what can be done to ensure that doesn’t happen,” King said. “What can we do to ensure that it’s a way for local, regional tra c.” City documents show the alternative route would have seven segments and pass by the northern edge of the 45-acre city-owned property known as the Brown Property as well as the Village of Spanish Oaks, which is under construction. Roadways in that development will not be complete until summer or fall 2022, Oskoui told council. Amy Denney contributed to this report.
Bee Cave city sta have a conceptual plan that could connect motorists from Bee Caves Road to Hamilton Pool Road without using Hwy. 71. In 2022, a consultant will analyze whether the concept is practical and possible or will require an engineering study. Bee Cave City Council members voted unanimously Nov. 9 to seek such a feasibility study. On Dec. 15, the city expanded the scope to consider new roads from Hwy. 71 at Del Dios Way to Hamilton Pool Road. With the expanded scope, Assistant City Manager Lind- sey Oskoui said the requests for proposals for the study are now due Jan. 21. She said she expects to come back to council Feb. 8 with a recommendation for a consultant to evaluate the proposal. The city estimates the consultant will start the study in March and complete it in August. “I am in favor of doing this study because I want to see what the facts show me,” Bee Cave Mayor Kara King said in November.
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Work to start in January towidenHamiltonPool Road
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MoPac South expansion A virtual open house closed Jan. 7 for the MoPac South expansion that aims to expand the highway on an 8-mile stretch from Cesar Chavez Street to Slaughter Lane. In 2022, a sixth open house and a public hearing on the environmental draft assessment will occur. TxDOT will also issue an environmental nding. Rollingwood City Council held discussions in 2021 about possibly creating a MoPac task force to advocate on behalf of the city in 2022, although this has not yet been developed. On Jan. 4, Travis County commissioners stated they would submit a letter to the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority with their concerns over the agency using outdated documents as part of the open house. Timeline: TBD Cost: estimated $275 million-$350 million Funding source: TBD
BY GRACE DICKENS
address the growth and development in our region.” Work will be performed on one side of the roadway at a time from 6 p.m.-6 a.m., during which residents can expect lane closures with detour signage, aggers and pilot vehicles to direct tra c in the area, the press release said. Construction will attempt to limit noise and light by using ambient backup alarms on machinery
and directing lights away from nearby properties and tra c, among other techniques, according to TxDOT.
Work on the $15.8 million Hamilton Pool Road widening project located in Bee Cave will begin in late January and take about two years to complete, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The project will improve mobility, tra c congestion and safety along the 6.3-mile stretch from RR 12 to Hwy. 71. Improvements include adding a con- tinuous center turn lane, dedicated turning lanes, new travel lanes in each direction and shoulders on both sides of the road for emergency use. “Recognizing the growth made this project very, very necessary,” TxDOT Austin District Engineer Tucker Fergu- son said. “We appreciate the support of the locals on this project in looking to enhance this roadway section to
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A groundbreaking ceremony for the Hamilton Pool Road widening project occurred in December. (Grace Dickens/Community Impact Newspaper)
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LAKE TRAVIS WESTLAKE EDITION • JANUARY 2022
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