TRANSPORTATION UPDATES
Williamson County begins work on CR 245 expansion BY GRANT CRAWFORD
ONGOING PROJECTS
Williamson County broke ground on the reconstruction of CR 245 on Jan. 20, starting dirt work on the nearly $7 million construction project to turn the existing two-lane road into an interim three-lane roadway. The new three-lane CR 245—which will span from RM 2339 to Ronald Reagan Boulevard near Sun City in Georgetown—will include a center turn lane and right-turn lanes at speci c locations. Eventually it will be expanded to six lanes. Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey said the project was not originally on the list of construction to come from the 2019 road bond program, but the county determined CR 245 would become an important road as the area grows. “This is one of the projects I felt was needed right now because of the expansion of Sun City that continues as well as the expansion of homes around the area,” Covey said at the groundbreaking. “For example,
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Williams Drive at Lakeway Drive intersection improvements
A project to add dedicated turn lanes on Williams Drive and Lakeway Drive/ Bootys Crossing Drive is nearing com- pletion. The project was delayed due to di culty acquiring necessary materials. Timeline: January 2022-spring 2023 Cost: $1.45 million Funding sources: Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, city of Georgetown
Williamson County and project officials broke ground on an expansion to CR 245 on Jan. 20. (Grant Crawford/Community Impact)
Parmer Ranch is putting in a lot of homes ... as well as the development that will happen on the other side of Ronald Reagan.” With designs by Bridgefarmer & Associates Inc., the county contracted with Joe Bland Construction LP to build the road. The city of Georgetown has put in a water line and is knocking down some trees to get the project started. The county anticipates con- struction to wrap up by spring 2024. “In the meantime, we’re going to be closing down a portion of the road in
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order to build a much-needed bridge because of the drainage that we nd on this project,” Covey said. Updates on road closures will be announced as construction progresses.
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ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF JAN. 26. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT GEONEWS COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM. due to hitting rock while drilling. Timeline: October 2022-April 2023 Cost: N/A (privately funded) Funding sources: Ubiquity, Fiber First Sun City Boulevard lane closures The outermost southbound lane on Sun City Boulevard will continue to have rolling closures through April as Ubiquity and Fiber First install com- munication ber, according to the city. Closures span from Cattleman Drive to Sundance Lane/Rio Grande Loop. The project is taking longer than expected
I 35, Williams Drive bridge closed as diverging diamond starts
BY CLAIRE SHOOP
on a Friday and Saturday in mid-January—all through tra c was diverted onto the I-35 frontage road. The closures are part of TxDOT’s broader project to bring a diverging diamond intersection to the area. The intersection—which will temporarily guide vehi- cles to the left side of the road over the highway—is
expected to open in late 2023, said Bradley Wheelis, a spokesperson for TxDOT’s Austin district. During construction, two lanes of tra c will be open in each direction on Williams Drive. Wheelis said similar nightly closures are expected in the coming months.
The Texas Department of Transportation temporarily closed all lanes of I-35 at Williams Drive as well as the Williams Drive bridge over the highway in Jan- uary when crews worked to demolish and remove a portion of the bridge. During the closures— which took place overnight
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GEORGETOWN EDITION • FEBRUARY 2023
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