TRANSPORTATION
Top transportation stories to watch in 2023
2023 ANNUAL COMMUNITY GUIDE
Plan update to include focus on city growth, area narrow roads
OTHER PROJECTS TO FOLLOW IN 2023
COMING UPDATES Once completed, the revised master plan will include: updated capital improvement plan
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corridor study of McNeil Road corridor study of Sam Bass Road studies on streets similar in size to Sam Bass and McNeil roads
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BY BROOKE SJOBERG
Round Rock Transportation Direc- tor Gary Hudder said transportation master plans are typically updated every ve to 10 years. Hudder said contrary to popular belief among some residents, the master plan does not lay out an order for constructing the projects included within it. For the most part, he said, it aids in the identi cation of projects that need the city’s attention. However, the order of completion for projects is usually driven by available funding. According to city documents, more detailed development concepts are necessary to make transportation
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O cials are updating Round Rock’s transportation master plan for com- pletion in 2023, and it will include corridor studies of McNeil and Sam Bass roads. In July, Round Rock o cials approved a $574,000 engineering contract with Kimley-Horn for engineering services of the city’s transportation master plan update. Last updated in 2017, the plan provides a road map as the city plans for growth and helps determine the needs of existing and future residents in terms of vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle tra c.
DEEP WOOD DR.
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RM 620 expansion RM 620 will eventually include an overpass, frontage lanes and a roundabout. TXDoT announced plans in December to open the eastbound overpass to tra c in the new year, but a rm date has not been established. The project is a partnership among Round Rock, the Texas Department of Transportation and Williamson County to address tra c congestion. Timeline: February 2020-late-2023 Cost: $27.4 million Funding sources: city of Round Rock, TxDOT, Williamson County
SOURCE: CITY OF ROUND ROCK COMMUNITY IMPACT
improvements for these roadways, and those applications can be used on other streets with similar constraints. City funds will pay for the contract through the Round Rock Transporta- tion and Economic Development Corp. Timeline: July 2022-mid-2023 Cost: $574,000 Funding source: Round Rock Transporta- tion and Economic Development Corp.
Red Bud Lane widening on the horizon
COLLEGE PARK DR.
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OLD SETTLERS BLVD.
BY BROOKE SJOBERG
adjacent landowners to acquire enough right of way to widen the road from two to ve lanes with a continuous left-turn lane at the intersection. Additionally, a median will divide the road. Hudder previously said medians can reduce the number of car crashes by preventing drivers from making left-hand turns without des- ignated openings. City information states Red Bud Lane has a high crash frequency in Round Rock. Timeline: right-of-way acquisition and design expected to conclude by 2024 Cost: TBD Funding source: TBD
The city of Round Rock made two right of way purchases in November and December in anticipation of a project to widen Red Bud Lane near its intersection with Gattis School Road. Round Rock Transportation Director Gary Hudder said the right- of-way acquisition process can last anywhere from 18 months to two years. This most frequently comes after a city has created a schematic for the project. “That gives us enough detail then to start going and negotiating with property owners for right of way acquisition,” Hudder said. Project leaders are working with
FOREST RIDGE BLVD.
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College Park Drive expansion City Council approved a contract in late 2021 for the engineering of the College Park Drive project. The project is adding 700 lane feet of a four-lane divided roadway with a right-turn lane on the southbound approach. The project will serve as the entry point to The Meadows at Quick Ranch housing development. Timeline: late 2022-March 2023 Cost: $109,830
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GATTIS SCHOOL RD.
Funding source: Round Rock Transportation and Economic Development Corp.
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ROUND ROCK EDITION • JANUARY 2023
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