Transportation
BY HALEY MCLEOD & KAROLINE PFEIL
Commission pushes for narrower lanes Members of the Urban Transportation Commission unanimously voted July 1 to lower Austin’s recommended lane widths in the city’s street design guidebook. The big picture The recommendation calls to set those standards for level 3 and 4 streets—minor and major arterials around town, just below Level 5 highways—at 9-10 feet or 10-11 feet, with the latter option for trucks or freight transit. Commission Vice Chair Spencer Schumacher cited research pointing to the bene ts of narrower roads. He also said less room for vehicle travel could also leave more room for new public amenities. The rule would target arterial roadways, including local roads such as Bee Caves Road, Barton Creek Boulevard and RM 2222.
TxDOT opens new Westlake Drive bridge The new Westlake Drive bridge has been opened, restoring east/west connectivity to its associated section of Loop 360, according to a news release from the Texas Department of Transportation. The overview Construction of the Westlake Drive bridge is one change included in TxDOT’s $72.1 million Loop 360 project, which seeks to improve mobility and safety along the roadway by upgrading various intersections. Non-signalized U-turns for northbound and southbound tra c on Loop 360 have also been opened on the Westlake Drive Bridge, according to the news release. While U-turns south of Bold Ruler Way and north of Waymaker Way remain open, double U-turns previously located near Cedar Street and
Austin seeks FAA air tra ccontrolacademy Austin City Council members approved a resolution July 24 urging the Federal Aviation Administration to prioritize sta ng at the airport. Austin City Council member Vanessa Fuentes, who authored the measure, said the call to action includes several components, among them an FAA-approved air tra c controller academy in partnership with Austin Community College. “We want to continue to ask and demand that the FAA take action, but also add a local solution,” Fuentes said in an interview with Community Impact . If the city succeeds in establishing a certi ed air tra c controller program locally, it would be the rst and only one of its kind in Texas.
Convict Hill crossing closed as work continues The Convict Hill Road intersection crossing at Hwy. 290 is closed through early 2026 as crews complete the nal phases of the Oak Hill Parkway improvement project. The details Northbound Convict Hill vehicles will detour to the eastbound Hwy. 290 frontage road. Drivers must utilize the U-turn at William Cannon Drive for access to westbound Hwy. 290. Those traveling westbound on Hwy. 290 must use the RM 1826 U-turn to access Convict Hill Road. About the project The Texas Department of Transportation is currently reconstructing Hwy. 290 in Oak Hill headed towards Dripping Springs, transforming the existing four-lane, undivided roadway to a six-lane divided highway with both new frontage
new roads
U-turns
closed crossing
OLD BEE CAVES RD.
Closed U-turn
WESTLAKE DR.
71
OAK MEADOW DR.
Westlake Drive bridge
290
WILLIAM CANNON DR.
360
CONVICT HILL RD.
Closed U-turn
1826
N
CARRY BACK LN.
N
roads and miles of shared-use paths. New intersections are being constructed at Convict Hill Road, RM 1826, Scenic Brook Drive and Circle Drive where the highway will be sunken below the existing ground level and the cross street will remain at ground level. The project is now more than halfway com- plete, according to an update earlier this year. Find additional information about the project at www.txdot.gov/oakhillparkway.
the Shell Refuel Gas Station at 3310 N. Capital of Texas Hwy. are now closed. What else? Varying single-lane closures for emergency repairs will also take place on northbound Loop 360 near Spicewood Springs Road through September, according to the news release. Crews will be working on a drainage pipe underneath the road.
BEE CAVE 13015 Shops Pkwy (512) 263-9981
BRODIE LANE 4970 W Hwy 290 (512) 366-8260
NORTH 620 10601 N FM 620 (512) 506-8316
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