Northwest Austin Edition | January 2023

2023 ANNUAL COMMUNITY GUIDE

TIMELINE OVERVIEW

The US 183 North project will add new lanes in the existing highway footprint in both directions between RM 620 and MoPac. P R O J E C T CROSS SECTION

EXISTING SECTION

Nontolled lanes

The 183 North project has been over a decade in the making and faced a couple road blocks along the way. 2013

Frontage road

August 2013: The 183 North project is launched.

PROPOSED SECTION

Added toll lanes Added nontolled lanes Added sidewalk

2014

Nontolled lanes

Express toll lanes

2014-15: The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority hosts open house events to gather public input and adds options for shared-use paths.

Frontage road

2015

Direction of trac

SOURCE: CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL MOBILITY AUTHORITYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

2016

April: The project gains state and federal environmental clearance and proceeds into nal design.

The rush hour toll will be higher to maintain the ow of trac and keep it reliable, he said. The express lanes will also allow Capital Metro to increase bus service during peak periods. In September 2021, Capital Metro announced its purchase of almost 200 new elec- tric buses, which will be used in the corridor. “We’re also committed to working with our partners in transit, which is why CapMetro buses and other reg- istered carpool providers are able to take the express lanes for free, avoid- ing passing that cost on to customers and ensuring reliable public transpor- tation routes through the corridor,” Shelton said. Space for bicycles and pedestrians Another aspect of the project is adding bike lanes and pedestrian crossings as well as closing sidewalk gaps to provide continuous travel for cyclists between SH 45 and MoPac. During the environmental phase of the project, Mobility Authority o- cials hosted open house events in 2014-15 for the public to learn more about the plan and oer input, as previously reported by Community Impact. “Key elements of design shared by the community during the environ- mental phase are now a part of the project’s nal design,” Shelton said. Construction began in November to add new sidewalks and update exist- ing ones to make them Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant along the US 183 frontage roads between RM 620 and Loop 360. Plans for bike lanes and shared-use paths for use by those not traveling by vehicle are also underway.

customers to access the restaurant, manager Mohammed Tafory said. “I am looking to the future. This [construction] is good,” Tafory said. In 2021, the Mobility Authority met with homeowner associations and neighborhood associations virtually or in person within six communities along the corridor to inform them about construction, Shelton said. The aim was to also receive feedback. Neighborhood associations, such as Forest Oaks, Anderson Mill and Balcones Village/Spicewood Springs neighborhoods, gave feedback and showed concern about ow of trac through their neighborhood streets. “Once you get into the neighbor- hood, there’s no problem. There is a little bit of congestion around the frontage road; sometimes when they have a lane blocked o, it backs up a little bit, but it’s never been too long,” said Carol Feist, president of the Anderson Mill Neighborhood Association. Some neighbors still have concerns about how the project will alleviate congestion on local streets through neighborhoods. Richard Greenwalt, who has been a resident of the Spicewood at Balcones Village neighborhood for 30 years, has seen the transition of Anderson Mill Road from a minor side street to a major bypass between US 183 and RM 620. He said it is dicult to make a left-hand turn in rush hour as cut- through trac uses Anderson Mill Road from US 183 to reach RM 620. Even after the construction is com- plete, he does not see this problem going away. He said he hoped the project would have completed the northbound US 183 yover ramp to westbound RM 620.

While the Mobility Authority has included bicycle lanes since the beginning of the design phase in 2013, it also sought input from the public and members of the city of Austin bicycle program, the city’s Bicycle Advisory Council and Bike Austin to update their designs. Available right of way for bike facili- ties is constrained by existing utilities, driveways, steep slopes and drainage, Shelton said. The new design will allow a safer ride for bicyclists and pedestrians with cross-street connec- tions, sidewalks and shared-use paths for nonmotorized vehicles, whenever feasible. The Mobility Authority will also add landscaping and lighting for visibility and safety in the shared paths. The Mobility Authority has invested $47 million in bicycle and pedestrian accommodations up to now, includ- ing current and completed work. The project will also add a total of 51 new high-mast lights and LED bulb upgrades to 20 existing high-mast lights, Shelton said. Keeping the residents informed Work on the project continues 24/7, and the Mobility Authority keeps res- idents and neighborhood associations informed about temporary lane clo- sures through its website and news- letters. Most lane closures are posted in advance and are outside of rush hours, Mobility Authority sta said. Dimassi’s Mediterranean Buet is one of several businesses aected by the 183 North construction. The entrance and exit to the parking lot are anked by orange cones, cordoned o sidewalks and a partial lane clo- sure, but once the work is done, the driveway will be wider and safer for

2017

November 2017-mid-2018: A statewide moratorium on all toll projects halts progress on the project.

2018

2019

January: The Texas Transportation Commission approves the project.

2021

April: Final design and construction preparations begin. January: The project breaks ground. April: Construction ocially begins. November: Reconstruction on the Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant sidewalk begins.

2022

Project complete.

2026

SOURCE: CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL MOBILITY AUTHORITYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

“I think mostly they’re just focused on getting the tolled additional lanes on [US] 183 going north, but I don’t think it’s really attacking the inter- change between [US] 183 and [RM] 620, which I was hoping it would do,” Greenwalt said.

For more information, visit communityimpact.com .

NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • JANUARY 2023