AUSTIN | Transportation Updates - Page 462

StoOgE · #**9221** Posted **Sep 8, 2023, 2:50 PM**

I thought that the city was proposing capping I35 from CC to 7th or 8th and this picks up at 15th so there would be two caps with the 8th-15th street section of downtown being more or less the same.

Jdawgboy · #**9222** Posted **Sep 9, 2023, 2:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by StoOgE

I thought that the city was proposing capping I35 from CC to 7th or 8th and this picks up at 15th so there would be two caps with the 8th-15th street section of downtown being more or less the same.

I could be wrong, but if there's gonna be any caps at all, it's likely going to be UT rather than the city that ends up being successful. Hopefully I'm wrong though.

Lobotomizer · #**9223** Posted **Sep 9, 2023, 2:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

I could be wrong, but if there's gonna be any caps at all, it's likely going to be UT rather than the city that ends up being successful. Hopefully I'm wrong though.

If the city is not successful that is an epic failure on their part.

UT gets shit done. I have little doubt they will figure out how to get the decks they want completed.

Meanwhile the COA will be busy studying and planning for the 30th year on getting Rundburg and Pleasant Valley extended. I think it may be a tad bit too much to ask the city to get their shit together in time to get any caps.

And that is 100% on Austin. Austin's only hope is that Kirk Watson is mayor, and he can indeed get things done.

freerover · #**9224** Posted **Sep 9, 2023, 6:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lobotomizer

If the city is not successful that is an epic failure on their part.

UT gets shit done. I have little doubt they will figure out how to get the decks they want completed.

Meanwhile the COA will be busy studying and planning for the 30th year on getting Rundburg and Pleasant Valley extended. I think it may be a tad bit too much to ask the city to get their shit together in time to get any caps.

And that is 100% on Austin. Austin's only hope is that Kirk Watson is mayor, and he can indeed get things done.

Dude it’s just about money. It has nothing to do with execution or planning. It’s who has a billion dollars lying around.

GoldenBoot · #**9225** Posted **Sep 9, 2023, 8:35 PM**

I would kindly disagree. It's rarely ever "just" about the money.

gillynova · #**9226** Posted **Oct 17, 2023, 7:34 PM**

290 in Oakhill

Riverranchdrone · #**9227** Posted **Oct 17, 2023, 9:26 PM**

Glad to see some advancement on our roadway projects. Not sure why Austin is so slow or far behind. San Antonio and Dallas are pretty much fixing all their highways all over.

Echostatic · #**9228** Posted **Oct 18, 2023, 2:23 AM**

The Oak Hill Parkway project rocks. It'll be probably the most futureproofed highway in the city since the original sections of Ben White were turned into a freeway in the 90s. They can still handle the traffic.

KevinFromTexas · #**9229** Posted **Oct 18, 2023, 5:34 AM**

I really should be doing some US 290/Oak Hill photo updates. That is my morning commute 4 to 5 days a week.

US 290/71 was already pretty good in that you could jump on the freeway just north of Oak Hill and then take it all the way to the airport without hitting a traffice light. This will make possible now to have freeway access from south of Oak Hill all the way past the airport without hitting a traffic light.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Echostatic

The Oak Hill Parkway project rocks. It'll be probably the most futureproofed highway in the city since the original sections of Ben White were turned into a freeway in the 90s. They can still handle the traffic.

drummer · #**9230** Posted **Oct 18, 2023, 2:48 PM**

The Y has been in need of this for years and years and years....as much as I'm a fan of mass transit (and we NEED it), we still need improved roadways in many areas. Glad to see this one going through.

The ATX · #**9231** Posted **Oct 18, 2023, 2:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drummer

The Y has been in need of this for years and years and years....as much as I'm a fan of mass transit (and we NEED it), we still need improved roadways in many areas. Glad to see this one going through.

This has been in the works for ~30 years! They demo'ed a lot of businesses along 290 in the early '90s I believe.

drummer · #**9232** Posted **Oct 18, 2023, 3:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

This has been in the works for ~30 years! They demo'ed a lot of businesses along 290 in the early '90s I believe.

I remember a lot happening in the 90s - the intersection with Ben White and I-35 worked at a snail's pace also.

hereinaustin · #**9233** Posted **Oct 20, 2023, 12:02 PM**

Despite the haters of *managed* tollways, this and all of our freeways should be managed tollways. It would help 1. Pay for itself, 2. Pay for other projects, and 3. Discourage excessive use so that it doesn’t end up gridlocked like our other freeways

drummer · #**9234** Posted **Oct 20, 2023, 1:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hereinaustin

Despite the haters of *managed* tollways, this and all of our freeways should be managed tollways. It would help 1. Pay for itself, 2. Pay for other projects, and 3. Discourage excessive use so that it doesn’t end up gridlocked like our other freeways

I don't disagree, actually - especially for non-interstate highways. Existing free highways shouldn't be tolled either, of course. Many countries around the world have restricted access highways as toll roads and it does help - sometimes. But things do tend to get built more quickly that way. There are arguments on both sides, of course.

Riverranchdrone · #**9235** Posted **Oct 20, 2023, 11:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hereinaustin

Despite the haters of *managed* tollways, this and all of our freeways should be managed tollways. It would help 1. Pay for itself, 2. Pay for other projects, and 3. Discourage excessive use so that it doesn’t end up gridlocked like our other freeways

I dont believe any of our toll ways run that way. The funds do not maintain the road way. Any ice event and the tolls are the first to close. 130 is full of hole and bumps already. Its usually a foreign country that runs them. I would be ok with a toll way that paid for itself and then after it was paid off then could become a normal highway.

The ATX · #**9236** Posted **Oct 20, 2023, 11:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riverranchdrone

I dont believe any of our toll ways run that way. The funds do not maintain the road way. Any ice event and the tolls are the first to close. 130 is full of hole and bumps already. Its usually a foreign country that runs them. I would be ok with a toll way that paid for itself and then after it was paid off then could become a normal highway.

SH130 /SH45 are in better shape than I-35. The funds from tolls are absolutely used to maintain the roadways. No foreign entity owns or runs our tollways. A Spanish company built the section of SH130 south of Austin to I-10, but they went bankrupt. That section is now owned by the State of Texas who leases it to a U.S. company (SH 130 Concession Company) that is tasked with collecting the tolls and using the toll revenue to maintain the highway.

drummer · #**9237** Posted **Oct 23, 2023, 2:31 PM**

Agreed w/ ATX. I drive the tolls all the time as well as I-35. The tolls are in way better condition with the exception of a handful of brand new sections of I-35. Due to the fact that they're roads, they still require maintenance, of course, so there will always be spots for that.

My only complaint is I wish that they would just take out the original toll booths on the older sections. It makes for some awkwardly narrow entrances and exits in some places. I see lots of scrapes that probably ruined peoples' days...

gillynova · #**9238** Posted **Oct 23, 2023, 4:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I really should be doing some US 290/Oak Hill photo updates. That is my morning commute 4 to 5 days a week.

Please do when you can Kevin! A photo update bi-weekly or once a month would be very much appreciated

Echostatic · #**9239** Posted **Oct 23, 2023, 10:48 PM**

While we're on the subject, here's the new Oak Hill Parkway email newsletter that went out today.

Quote:

Major changes are coming to Oak Hill Parkway this fall and for the remainder of 2023. Over the summer, progress was made across the entire project corridor. One major milestone was the opening of the new William Cannon Drive bridge over Williamson Creek north of US 290. Bridge work for the future westbound US 290 frontage road is progressing following the removal of the old William Cannon Drive bridge.

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Crews recently began paving for the new eastbound US 290 mainlanes between Tara Lane and Thunderbird Road. The lanes have been lowered approximately 20 feet below the existing roadway.

Quote:

Crews are constructing the new westbound US 290 frontage road near Scenic Brook Drive, made possible by shifting eastbound US 290 traffic onto the new frontage road between Thunderbird Road and El Rey Boulevard. Westbound US 290 traffic is now traveling on the existing eastbound US 290 lanes.

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During the closure of Old Bee Caves Road, crews continue to construct the bridge deck for the future westbound US 290 frontage road. The project team also recently placed bridge beams for the westbound US 290 mainlane bridge. In final configuration, this bridge will connect into flyovers providing non-stop access to SH 71 from US 290.

Upcoming Traffic Shifts:

Quote:

On Oct. 26, the ‘Y’ Interchange is scheduled to change from a continuous flow intersection to a traditional intersection. This means the left-turn movement from US 290 to SH 71 will be shifted next to the through lanes, similar to the William Cannon Drive intersection. The location of lanes for SH 71 at the ‘Y’ Interchange will also shift to the east. This shift will allow crews to construct the westbound US 290 frontage road and new eastbound SH 71 lanes.

Quote:

In early November, eastbound US 290 traffic is scheduled to shift south to the new lowered eastbound US 290 mainlanes between Tara Lane and Thunderbird Road. This configuration will be in place for six to eight weeks before westbound US 290 traffic shifts onto the lowered lanes as well. This shift will allow crews to continue construction on new lowered westbound US 290 mainlanes and complete the Circle Drive/South View Road bridge.

Quote:

In winter 2023, construction will begin for the new cross-street bridge over US 290 at Scenic Brook Drive. At that time, Scenic Brook Drive will become a right in/right out only. Drivers will use temporary turnarounds to access Scenic Brook Drive from eastbound US 290 and to access eastbound US 290 from Scenic Brook Drive.

Quote:

As early as winter 2023, eastbound US 290 mainlanes and frontage road between Joe Tanner Lane and Old Fredericksburg Road will reopen. The reconstructed roads will connect to a new eastbound frontage road between William Cannon Drive and Joe Tanner Lane. All eastbound US 290 drivers will shift onto the new lanes at the William Cannon Drive intersection. McCarty Lane will become a right in/right out. This shift will allow crews to continue construction on the new US 290 mainlane bridges and westbound US 290 frontage road.

They send these out every few months and every time it seems like they're picking up the pace. It's really an enormous project out here and I'm glad to see it firing on all cylinders.

gillynova · #**9240** Posted **Oct 24, 2023, 3:37 PM**

Do you have a link to get the email newsletters? This was a GREAT update, thanks for sharing that information with us!

Also, if anyone has an email newsletter for south i35 from downtown, please send it my way! That project has been progressing really well too