Road to relief From the cover
SH 71 East Corridor
Funding the work
Completed
Ongoing
Planned
Led by TxDOT and funded by the Texas Highway Fund, the SH 71 East Corridor project aims to ease trac congestion for drivers between Bastrop and Austin.
130 TOLL
969
Orange barrels and shifting lanes are a daily reality for drivers along SH 71 between Bastrop and Austin, where a 22-mile stretch of improvements is steadily reshaping the corridor—changes Bastrop ocials said will bring long-term relief for motorists. In 2015, the average daily trac on SH 71, just east of SH 130, was more than 50,000 vehicles per day, according to a Texas Department of Transportation trac analysis. By 2022, that count increased to 55,730. “I’ve worked in Austin for going on 22 years,” Bastrop Mayor Ishmael Harris said during a March 26 business conference. “I’ve traveled up and down SH 71 throughout that time, and that gave me a big perspective and understanding of the impact of people moving to our area. I’m seeing so much trac.” He recounted his drive to work at 4:45 a.m. and his drive back to Bastrop about three hours later. “I took a picture on my way back from Austin because for 2 miles all you could see was
TUCKER HILL LN.
Total: $293M
Tucker Hill Lane: $58.5M
KELLAM RD.
POPE BEND RD.
ROSS RD.
71
Pope Bend Road: $62.5M
1209
Ross Road and Kellam Road: $70M
812
FM 1209: $102M
21
N
SOURCE: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION¢COMMUNITY IMPACT
• FM 1209 “We’ve been waiting for that a really long time,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Clara Beckett said. Jerey Barker, a representative for TxDOT, said each is nanced through the Texas State Highway Fund.
headlights,” Harris said. TxDOT projects aimed at alleviating that congestion as part of the SH 71 East Corridor improvements include: • Tucker Hill Lane • Ross Road and Kellam Road • Pope Bend Road
Tucker Hill Lane
Ross Road and Kellam Road
What's planned at Tucker Hill The signalized intersection at Tucker Hill Lane will be replaced with the following: 1 Expanded bicycle and pedestrian mobility An overpass at the existing intersection New one-way frontage roads
TxDOT broke ground Oct. 28, 2025, on a $58.5 million project that will add a
TxDOT completed the rst of the four planned projects along the corridor in September 2024. The $70 million, 2.5-mile Ross Road and Kellam Road project started in February 2021, according to TxDOT ocials. Changes to the Ross and Kellam roads por- tion of SH 71 included new overpasses, new frontage roads for enhanced access to local businesses and homes, and the expansion of bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.
grade-separated overpass and one-way frontage roads east- and westbound to an existing signal- ized intersection at Tucker Hill Lane and SH 71. Texas-based Jordan Foster Construction is completing the project, which is scheduled to wrap up construction in fall 2028, according to TxDOT ocials. “What makes projects like these especially meaningful for our team is that they’re personal,” John Goodrich, president of Infrastructure Group at Jordan Foster Construction, said in a statement. “Many of our employees live in these neighbor- hoods or commute on these roads.” He stressed that building something new that didn’t exist before isn’t just about infrastructure, but also about improving people’s lives. “We prioritize being a good neighbor throughout construction by minimizing disruptions, com- municating openly, and delivering a project that reects the pride and care we bring to every job,” Goodrich said. The project—near Circle K and McDonald’s along the westbound lanes of SH 71—will feature expanded accommodations for bicycles and pedestrians.
1
STOP
STOP
71
71
Ross and Kellam project details
STOP
STOP
1
Timeline: February 2021-September 2024
SOURCE: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
Distance: 2.5 miles
“Based on recent coordination with TxDOT, the current phase of construction in this area includes ongoing bridge and overpass work, shifting trac patterns, and intermittent lane closures that are expected to continue through upcoming project phases,” said Dana Platt, community engagement coordinator of the Capital Area Rural Transporta- tion System.
Construction cost: $70 million
Contractor: Zachry Construction Corp.
SOURCE: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
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