BY GRACIE WARHURST
How we got here
Going forward
Work continues on segments 2 and 3, originally estimated to be done in March 2023. Senior Project Manager Greg Ciaccio said the contractor, JD Abrams, ran into material and labor issues during the pandemic. The projected completion date has since been changed to this November. “Sta and city leadership have continuously been working to push this project to completion within the con nes of state law regarding the contract for the project,” Ciaccio said. Segments 5 and 6 are in the planning stage, with the designs being developed. No construction for road connections in either bordering cities has started, but is expected soon in Pugerville. Boles said the county is in constant talks with Pugerville and Georgetown engineers to plan roadways and “get people around safely.”
The segments of the road project in Round Rock are funded through multiple sources, including federal and state transportation funds, sales tax, and development fees. Williamson County also contrib- uted funds to expand Kenney Fort Boulevard. “We need to help our cities build their infra- structure system,” Williamson County Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles said. As for the cross-county connection, P ugerville has approved plans to connect Kenney Fort to Meister Lane. Construction is anticipated to begin later this month, P ugerville Operations Director Evan Groeschel said. The P ugerville section will be “developer- driven,” as construction will occur in tandem with nearby industrial and o ce space. “It took a lot of coordination and communica- tion e ort to make sure that it could be done,” Groeschel said. Georgetown also plans to extend Rockride Lane south for a connection with Kenney Fort, according
Funding
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Segment 1: $22,943,554 Williamson County contributed $8M Segments 2&3: $33,397,307 Williamson County contributed $1.5M and
Estimated total to date $179M
4
5
6
2
3
TxDOT contributed $12.25M Segment 4: $25,869,670
Williamson County did not contribute to this segment Segments 5&6: Total spent to date is $2,753,421 on engineering costs. Engineering, right-of-way, utilities and construction are estimated at $94,050,000 Segment 7: No planning work/costs to date to Transportation Planning Manager Lua Saluone. Like in P ugerville, a portion of the road crosses into a planned development, and Saluone said Georgetown o cials are working on obtaining a right of way.
“Huge growth in Round Rock over the past few years—huge growth coming in the future, and this is on the east side of Round Rock
What they’re saying
... Connecting these cities so people can ow is going to be bene cial.” MICHAEL THANE,
from Kenney Fort, said she’s concerned the road will increase reckless driving and noise once completed. The ongoing construction impacts more than commuters and individuals. Kenney Fort Pub, at the intersection of Hwy. 79 and North Kenney Fort Boulevard, is a U.K.-inspired restaurant. Local owner Tim Jones hopes that the road extension will be good for business. “Until it’s fully open, we’ll never know,” he said.
Ann Brennan and Martin Lee moved to Round Rock in 2017. They said they have been happy with the updated portions of Kenney Fort, especially as an alternative to Old Settlers Boulevard. “This is a really big deal,” Lee said. “Anything to do with the Kenney Fort extension is going to change the commutes of people.” Others are concerned about the road project a ecting nearby neighborhoods. Peiying Wu, a Round Rock resident who lives a block away
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