Major road projects on the way in Pflugerville and Hutto will help create new, more viable arterial options for drivers, officials said, which could divert traffic from other over-stressed arterial roads. Projects to Watch
is now expected to wrap up in January. “We are so hopeful about Kelly Lane Phase 2, because we are ready to bid that project,” she said. The road ahead While projects already in the works help address immediate needs, Pflugerville and Hutto are each engaging in extensive planning to anticipate their future transportation needs and get ahead of them. Pflugerville is conducting two extensive corridor studies—one along the SH 130 corridor and another along the FM 685 corridor—that will identify and prioritize projects to improve roadways along those thoroughfares. The SH 130 study encompasses a 19-square-mile area that is experiencing extensive growth, includ- ing the 400-acre mixed-use development Lakeside Meadows at its intersection with Pecan Street in Pflugerville. “This is an extreme amount of development that is happening, … so we are trying to plan very well for that,” Brinkley said. “This is an area where we are try- ing to make sure that we are able to traverse or cross this major thoroughfare and basically integrate it into our roadway network.” The study is anticipated to report findings in May. Evan Groeschel, operations director for Pfluger- ville’s public works department, said major expan- sions and new roads tend to draw the most attention, but maintaining existing roads is just as important. To that end, the city maintains a plan of which roads are likely to need preventative maintenance over the next five years, Groeschel said. “The idea with our rehabilitation and preservation is that we preserve roads that are in good condition … so we don’t have to pay the big money to recon- struct,” Groeschel said. In Hutto, the city is nearing completion of its 2040 comprehensive plan, a long-range planning docu- ment that will help prioritize numerous initiatives, including transportation projects. Hutto Development Services Director Ashley Lumpkin said a key step in drafting the transporta- tion portion of the plan has been consulting with other cities and counties to ensure roadway plans are consistent where borders meet or overlap. “We want to make sure—if our road’s connecting here and Taylor’s plan shows it a half-mile south … do we maybe need to look at ours coming in a little bit different?” Lumpkin said. “Williamson County was here, and then we looked at Pflugerville’s plans, Tay- lor’s plans, Georgetown and Round Rock.” Hutto’s comprehensive plan is expected to be com- plete sometime in 2023. As the two municipalities move forward with their planning, officials said public input will be a key ingredient in determining where and when projects are most needed. “We just want to make sure that we’re here to serve the residents and make sure that they feel like there’s value being delivered by the city,” Brin- kley said. “We’re trying to build the best study that we can.”
CONTINUED FROM 1
Pflugerville, Hutto road projects to add connectivity BY CARSON GANONG As populations and physical boundaries in Pfluger- ville and Hutto quickly expand and grow, city lead- ers are working on several immediate transportation projects and planning to address long-term growth. Between road expansions, pavement mainte- nance, construction of new roads and creation of long-range plans, Pflugerville and Hutto’s specific priorities vary slightly, but their upcoming projects share a common goal of enhancing connectivity. “We look at our bridges [and] our roadways, and we try to look for areas where we can connect all those pieces,” said Andrea Brinkley, capital improve- ment projects director in Pflugerville. “This is really about getting from one place to another.” Hutto’s priorities In Hutto, Hwy. 79 acts as the city’s primary east- west arterial. However, officials said it is unlikely that Hutto’s portion of Hwy. 79 can widen anymore since it is restricted by a railroad to the south and develop- ment to the north. Wade Benton, Hutto’s interim public works and engineering director, said with Hwy. 79 already being heavily congested and the city population growing rapidly, new thoroughfares and upgrades to exiting roads are key to relieving traffic. “We’ve got to come up with some alternatives … so everyone doesn’t have to get on [Hwy.] 79 to get to the other side of town or get through town,” he said. One major project that could help accomplish that goal will bring a series of improvements to intersec- tions along FM 1660 and make it more viable as an arterial road. The project will add new lanes, including dedicated turn lanes, to three intersections along the road. It is in design with expected completion dates ranging from 2023-25 for different parts of the project. City officials said another project that will help divert traffic from Hwy. 79 is a new road called South- east Loop, which will run through southeast Hutto before connecting with the easternmost part of Hwy. 79 within the city. Williamson County crews began construction on the road’s first segment in summer 2021—and design is underway on the second segment. Pflugerville’s priorities The road projects in Pflugerville with the most immediate need largely center on the expansion of existing roads to handle additional traffic. Brinkley said two key widening projects that are nearly ready to begin construction involve Immanuel Road and Kelly Lane. The Immanuel Road project and part of the Kelly Lane project are funded by a $101.7 million transpor- tation bond passed in 2020. Brinkley said design on the Immanuel Road expan- sion is around 75% complete, while the next phase of the Kelly Lane project is awaiting relocation of power lines. That phase has been delayed several times but
HutTo
1660
MAIN ST.
EAST ST.
LIBERTY ST.
PARK AVE.
HUTTO ST.
LIVE OAK ST.
79
1660
N
1660 intersection improvements Project details: This project will add new turn lanes and sidewalks at the intersections of North FM 1660 and Limmer Loop; North FM 1660 and Hwy. 79; and South FM 1660 and Hwy. 79. Cost: $12.4 million Status: in design Expected completion: 2025 1 Live Oak reconstruction and Old Town improvements Project details: In September, Hutto added three traffic circles at intersections along Main, East and Live Oak streets. An upcoming project will fully reconstruct Live Oak Street, and add street lights and sidewalks. Cost: TBD 2
Status: awaiting utility relocation Expected completion: early 2023
Pflugerville
45 TOLL
VILAMOURA ST.
MOORLYNCH AVE.
130 TOLL
FALCON POINTE BLVD.
N
Kelly Lane phases 2 and 3 Project details: The remaining two phases of the Kelly Lane expansion project will widen the road to two lanes in each direction from Falcon Pointe Boulevard to the road’s end at Weiss Lane. Phase 2 will also add a traffic circle at Vilamoura Street, while Phase 3 will realign the intersection of Kelly Lane, Weiss Lane, Cele Road and Hodde Lane. Cost: TBD Status: awaiting utility relocation (Phase 2), in design (Phase 3) Expected completion: TBD 3
For more information, visit communityimpact.com.
SOURCES: CITY OF HUTTO, CITY OF PFLUGERVILLE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
32
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Powered by FlippingBook