New road project connects Hutto to Round Rock
New road project connects Hutto to Round Rock
Written by Beth Wade Wednesday, 07 November 2007
Hutto residents will have access to healthcare from two new hospitals and shopping at the outlet mall in Round Rock with the opening of the Chandler Road extension in January.
“[The road] gives us an opportunity to have better access to the new developments in that area of Round Rock close to IH 35, as in our area as well,” Hutto City Manager Ed Broussard said. “It is very important to the city in regards to future commercial and possibly industrial development along that corridor in Hutto. We’ve indicated it as a major arterial in our growth guidance plan for the north part of our community.”
Williamson County officials recognized the need for another east-west corridor in 1999 and began planning for the expansion of Chandler Road east to Hutto with the 2000 road bond package. In 2006 the county commissioners added funds from another bond package to continue the road into Taylor.
The project has cost $4.2 million for Phase 1 construction to CR 110. The county approved a construction contract for Phase 2, CR 110 to FM 1660, which totaled $8.2 million.
“The [1999] commissioners knew they couldn’t improve the traffic situation, but they could keep traffic about the same as the population grew,” said Connie Watson, Williamson County public information officer. “This court is working to create new roads for mobility and safety. When you add traffic, there can be a lot of safety issues, which there would have been without the addition of new roads.”
The extension will add 7.7 miles of two-lane roadway in each direction with a curb and gutter system and a center turn lane. Phase 1 construction began in August 2003, and in September 2006 road crews started work on Phase 2.
“This will provide another way to get east and west through the county. It should relieve day to day traffic on Hwy. 79 and provide a way for detours if there is an accident on Hwy. 79, which can shut down traffic,” Watson said.
The road is also known as University Boulevard in Round Rock and RM 1431 on the west side of the city. The road will keep its name, Chandler Road, in Hutto.
Eventually the road will be extended with an additional 7.12 miles to Taylor. Planning on Phase 3A, from FM 1660 to CR 368, and Phase 3B from CR 368 to Hwy. 95, has begun. The project is still in the design stage, but is expected to begin by March 2008, with an estimated $16.2 million price tag, Watson said.
FM 1460 improvements
The Texas Department of Transportation has plans to widen FM 1460 to a four-lane divided highway from Round Rock north of Hwy. 79 to Georgetown. Phase 1 will upgrade the road to four lanes with a divided section from Old Settlers Boulevard to Westinghouse Road. This portion is in need of funding, said TxDOT spokesman Marcus Cooper, and is expected to be put up for bid by April 2009. Phase 2 from Westinghouse to Quail Valley Drive in Georgetown will expand to four lanes with a continuous left turn lane. There is no timeline for the second phase.
0 Comments 
