Transportation
BY HALEY MCLEOD
Growth along CR 118 in Round Rock spurs road improvements Round Rock City Council approved a con- tract with Westwood Professional Services Inc. on April 25 for close to $1 million for the design of road improvements along CR 118. In a nutshell The road construction will span from Uni- versity Boulevard to SH 130, resulting in a four-lane, divided roadway. However, there will be a temporary three-lane expansion in the interim, Director of Transportation Gary Hudder said. According to city documents, the expan- sion is geared to support anticipated tra c volume, as this area was recently annexed into the city, and several commercial and multifamily developments were approved by City Council in recent years. Design work is expected to be complete by late summer 2025, at which time the city can bid out the project for construction.
Extension details The reason: to reduce the increased freight tra c seen along Hwy. 79 Timeline: Completion by end of 2028
Taylor
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SAMSUNG HWY.
Sections of Samsung Highway in Williamson County are under construction.
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GRANT CRAWFORD COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTY COMMUNITY IMPACT
Samsung Highway expansion to reduce Hwy. 79 tra c
Jobs Connector project—will improve mobility for the high-tech production facilities going up in the area, such as the Samsung Austin Semi- conductors plant in Taylor and the new facilities planned for the Megasite in Hutto, Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell wrote in a letter sup- porting the county’s application for the grant. The new route will also reduce the increased freight tra c seen along Hwy. 79, according to county o cials. The grant and county funding will be used for construction costs, with work expected to begin by spring 2027 and be completed by the end of 2028, according to county documents. What they’re saying “The investment is vital to the economy of Central Texas and aims to provide safe and reliable roadways in an area of rapid population and economic growth,” Gravell said.
An application for federal transportation funding was approved by Williamson County commissioners on April 30. With the grant, the county will be able to move forward on an extension of the Samsung High- way from FM 973 to SH 95. Explained The U.S. Department of Transportation announced $5 billion in funding was available for scal year 2025-26 in March, according to a news release, with project applications needing to be submitted by May 6. The grant program is known as the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant. The county is requesting a $40 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation with a $10 million match. The county’s portion of the funding will be coming from the 2023 voter-ap- proved road bond. The project—referred to as the CHIPS Act Loop
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TxDOT agreement creates funding for Heritage Trail
Heritage Trail
The Lawn at Brushy Creek
to city documents. A new pedestrian bridge over Brushy Creek at Mays Street will also be added. This segment of the Heritage Trail marks a pre- liminary step towards the city’s plans for a 20-acre park called the Lawn at Brushy Creek. The Parks and Recreation Department was awarded a $6.3 million grant from TxDOT for the Heritage Trail East Project back in October, accord- ing to city documents. The city will also contribute $1.6 million to the project.
Round Rock City Council approved an advanced funding agreement April 25 with the Texas Department of Transportation to begin work on the next portion of the Heritage Trail, stretching along Brushy Creek near downtown. The details Plans for the shared-use path span from North Georgetown Street to Mays Street, running parallel to Hwy. 79 and connecting to the existing trail along east of downtown Round Rock, according
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PECAN AVE.
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ROUND ROCK EDITION
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