BY BROOKE SJOBERG
transfer services. This process required temporary disconnection of power, and the utility company worked to complete these relocations with minimal interruptions to services. “We are now awaiting the relocation of tele- communication utility equipment before we can proceed with removing the original poles,” the statement from Perez reads. What community members are saying Lori Steele, a ve-year Round Rock resident, said the trac in the city is one of several factors causing her to consider moving out of Central Texas. Her home is near the Gattis School Road and Red Bud Lane intersection, a high-trac corridor. “There’s no such thing as a peaceful venture to the grocery store,” Steele said. Steele said the biggest adjustment to increased trac is simply giving herself extra time to get around town. She’s also seen some changes to businesses in the area, including a local coee shop. In 2024, Dazzle Coee & Smoothies closed its Round Rock shop on Gattis School Road. At the time, owners Corey Wertenberger and Mike Scheschuk said they closed because the center turn lane on Gattis School Road was removed and a concrete median put in its place. Now, drivers can only access the site via a right-hand turn. What to expect Several of the projects began construction late last year and in January. Others in design are expected to go out for bid in the coming months, Thane said. Residents can nd updates to trac patterns and road closures on the city’s social media channels. “It’s like with any project,” Thane said. “It’s tough when you’re in the middle of it, but when it’s over, everyone likes it.”
Cost breakdown for current road projects CR 112/Avery Nelson Boulevard East: $13.1M
Cost breakdown for future road projects
CR 118: $10.5
Gattis School Road Segment 6: $20M Kenney Fort Boulevard Segment 6: $30M Gattis School Road Segment 2: $12.5M Gattis School Road segments 4 and 5: $15M Kenney Fort Boulevard Segment 5: $34M Red Bud Lane South: $49.8M
Old Settlers Boulevard extension: $14.9M
Harrell Parkway: $20M
CR 112/Avery Nelson Boulevard West: $20.4M
Gattis School Road Segment 3: $26.7M
Red Bud Lane North: $26.8M
Total $121.9 million
Total $171.8 million
project was planned to start construction in 2022 but has faced delays in relocation of dry utilities, such as electricity and telecommunications, from Oncor and AT&T, Pohlmeyer said. “The problem we have with the utilities is they will give us their completion dates, and then they don’t hit them,” he said. In a statement to Community Impact , Sarah Rodriguez, AT&T’s lead public relations manager, wrote that a portion of utility relocations could not be completed until new power poles were placed. She wrote that the telecommunications provider does not feel it is the cause of delays. Armando Perez, a spokesperson for Oncor Electric Delivery, said in a statement that the utility relocations for the sixth segment of Gattis School Road have been completed and that this portion of the project required detailed coordination to
How it works The city can fund road work in a variety of ways, with some requiring the approval of voters in its taxing district. Others can be program-based, such as federal and state grants. Road work can also be nanced through certi - cates of obligation bonds, which don’t require voter approval; roadway impact fees; and sales taxes. Once funding is secured, then the project can either be designed or go out for bid, Thane said. As long as the various stages of construction go according to plan, he said road projects will gener- ally be completed within the established timeline. However, delays in acquiring materials or com- pleting utility relocations can hold a project back. One example is Gattis School Road Segment 6, which spans from Via Sonoma Trail to Red Bud Lane and is planned to expand from four to six lanes. The
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