TRANSPORTATION
Top transportation stories to watch in 2023
2023 ANNUAL COMMUNITY GUIDE
Local entities aim to increase connectivity in 2023
OTHER PROJECTS TO FOLLOW IN 2023
BY ZARA FLORES
ends at I-35 in Kyle, creating a “loop.” “When it’s done in 2023, you will be able to go around San Marcos from the south side to the north side on FM 110, fully complete,” said Willie Semora Jr., South Travis County/Hays County area engineer. The $36.5 million project will con- struct 6.5 miles of new road, according to TxDOT documents. Another project that will make great headway is the TxDOT I-35 at SH 123 project, though it may not reach completion this year, Semora said. “I hate to jinx us, but we are about a year ahead of schedule,” Semora said. “There is going to be a lot of progress made on that job this year, so we are excited about that.” Thus far, the northbound and southbound frontage roads along I-35 have been reconstructed, including the San Marcos River bridge. Other work within the project includes relocation of entrances, and
lane and pedestrian improvements. The $107 million project is not anticipated for completion until 2024, according to TxDOT. Non-TxDOT projects lined up for 2023 include the Kyle $294 million road bond, a voter-approved bond and the biggest of its kind for the city of Kyle. The bond consists of 10.3 miles of new or upgraded roads throughout the city. Approval of the bond comes with an estimated $0.0917 increase in property taxes per $100 valuation, according to city documents. All eight projects are green-lit from an engineering standpoint along with right-of-way acquisition. Mayor Travis Mitchell said the only project the city might break ground on in 2023 is the 0.6-mile Marketplace Avenue project. The $11 million project will recon- struct part of Marketplace Avenue and build a new road to extend it. That project is estimated to take around 30 months to complete.
Communities in Hays County and the Austin metro as a whole saw some headway in increasing connectivity throughout the region in 2022 with big projects, such as the completion of Hopkins Street improvements in San Marcos as well as widening and adding lanes to I-35, according to the city of San Marcos and Texas Depart- ment of Transportation o cials. This year will be no di erent, with several projects expected to reach completion by year’s end and others to begin this year, such as the city of Kyle 2022 road bond projects, according to the city of Kyle. TxDOT, Hays County and city of San Marcos leadership broke ground on the FM 110 North project March 1, 2022, which aims to serve as an I-35 alternative. This project is the third and nal section of road construction that begins at SH 80 near Martindale and
1626
35
ROBERT S LIGHT BLVD. S.
N
Robert S. Light Boulevard extension Robert S. Light Boulevard o I-35 in Buda is expected to reach completion in 2023. The project began in late 2021 and will redirect tra c out of down- town Buda and create another pathway to FM 1626. Timeline: October 2021-fall 2023 Cost: $17.7 million Funding source: Texas Department of Transportation
2001
35
INCREASING CONNECTIVITY
Several projects, conducted either by the Texas Department of Transportation or the city of Kyle, that aim to address connectivity within Hays County are expected to reach completion or to break ground in 2023.
N
OLD GOFORTH RD.
FM 110 North
I-35 at SH 123
Marketplace Avenue
KYLE
FM 2001 West realignment The Texas Department of Transpor- tation is in the nal stages of the FM 2001 West project in Buda, which is the rst of three segments of road. This segment has been realigned and widened, and paired with bike lanes and pedestrian sidewalks. All that is left is some resurfacing work, which is to be completed in February. Timeline: June 2021-February 2023 Cost: $6 million Funding sources: Hays County, TxDOT
KOHLERS CROSSING
35
21
35
SAN MARCOS
35
1626
123
MARKETPLACE AVE.
80
KYLE
SAN MARCOS
N
N
N
SOURCES: CITY OF KYLE, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
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SAN MARCOS BUDA KYLE EDITION • JANUARY 2023
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