Transportation
Transportation
BY ANNA MANESS
BY ANNA MANESS
Segment 2 of the East WilCo Highway is now under construction following a groundbreaking on Oct. 3. The segment will connect CR 137 to FM 3349 at CR 404 in Hutto, and include one lane in each direction, a center turn lane and a sidewalk, Precinct 4 County Commissioner Russ Boles said at the groundbreaking. The $64.4 million, Segment 2 is expected to be completed by summer 2027, according to a news release. The entire East WilCo Highway has six segments and the total project cost for funded portions reaches $347.26 million, Boles said at a Sept. 11 Hutto Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Segments 1 and 4 are complete, he said. County begins piece of highway
Shell Road construction to start in the spring With the majority of design and planning complete, officials will begin construction in May to widen Shell Road. The full story The $18.42 million project will expand the existing 1.1-mile two-lane, undivided road into a four-lane major arterial road, according to George- town’s ClearGov website. The improved roadway, which started its design phase in August 2022, will also include: • A raised median • A shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists • A curb and gutter • Left- and right-turn lanes at intersecting streets Funding for the project stems from Georgetown’s 2021 road bond. As of June, 95% of the project’s plans were reviewed, according to ClearGov.
Signal to be installed along Rockride Lane A temporary traffic signal will be installed the week of Oct. 21 at the intersection of Rockride Lane and Sam Houston Avenue. In a nutshell Residents can expect more construction at the intersection in months to come, as the city anticipates putting a permanent traffic signal at the location beginning in March. Improvements to the roadway stem from the Rockride Lane bond project, which will widen existing travel lanes from 11 to 12 feet, and add a center turn lane and a 10-foot- wide shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists. Previously, the intersection had a two-way stop for Rockride Lane’s traffic, according to information from the city. This was replaced by a four-way stop sign in mid-September.
Project limits
The impact
4 Segment 4: complete 5 Segment 5:
1 Segment 1: complete 2 Segment 2:
Shell Road construction
Turn lanes
Segment 2 of the highway is the second- largest project in Williamson County’s road bond history, Boles said in the release, with Segment 3 being the largest. Williamson County is working with the Texas Department of Transportation on Segment 3, which will connect FM 3349 to Hwy. 79. The East WilCo Highway project comes from the county’s efforts to keep up with continued growth, according to its website. The project is funded through the 2023 voter-approved Williamson County Road Bond, according to the release. At the start of the East WilCo Highway’s planning, Boles said he got mixed receptions from Hutto and Taylor residents questioning its necessity. “The people who asked me, ‘Do we need it?’ aren’t asking me that anymore,” Boles said. “They’re asking me, ‘When are we going to get it done?’”
under construction
under construction
3 Segment 3:
6 Segment 6:
under construction
planning and design
971
Weir
6
VILLAGE COMMONS BLVD.
29
95
Jonah
5
130 TOLL
4
Hutto
3
404
79
1
E. WILCO HWY.
973
3349
138
2
GATTIS SCHOOL RD.
1660
137
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SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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GEORGETOWN 1013 W University Ave (512) 868-6696 CEDAR PARK 13530 Ronald Reagan Blvd (512) 986-7681
ROUND ROCK 201 University Oaks Blvd (512) 341-9066
PFLUGERVILLE 19000 Limestone Commercial Dr (512) 953-4070
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