Traffic Travis | Officials: Interim Fix For Traffic To Be Done By Oak Hill Winter 2013

By Joe Olivieri Saturday, 07 October 2011

City and state transportation officials said They expect interim improvements to the Y at Oak Hill to be completed by winter 2013.

Gary Schatz, assistant director of the Austin Transportation Department, Addressed the Oak Hill Business and Professional Association at its May. June was joined by representatives from meeting.He the city 's Public Works Department and the Texas Department of Transportation.

Various Artists Schatz said government entities contributed $ 5.58 million to work on the Hwy. 290 corridor from FM 1826 to Joe Tanner Lane. Four million dollars came from the City of Austin 's 2010 Mobility Bond Program, $ 1.5 million came from Travis County, $ 87,000, and the remains came from TxDOT, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority and Capital Metro.

He said workers willing ImproveGhana Hwy. 290 in two phases: the area from FM 1826 to Convict Hill Road, and the intersections near Hwy. 290 and Hwy. 71, William Cannon Drive and Joe Tanner Lane.

Phase 1

Clay Harris, project manager with the city 's Public Works Department, said the City That Currently it is designing improvements to intersections and near FM 1826 Convict Hill Road.

Roadway plans include installing new turning lanes, widening shoulders for bike lanes and expanding the approach to the Austin Community College Pinnacle Campus, he said.

The project is expected to be contracted in spring 2012. From there, the Project Will wait for five months 'three months of environmental studies and two months or city review.

Harris said That Should construction start at some point next summer and last for four to six months.

Phase 2

TxDOT Transportation Engineer Keith Taylor said the state is working on designs for intersections of Hwy. 290 and Hwy. 71, Joe Tanner Lane and William Cannon Drive.

Workers Will create continuous flow intersections "in All which left-turning traffic travels away from the intersection " to allow for Greater Efficiency.

Taylor said no lanes would be shut down consistently construction.

May construction beginning in winter 2012 or spring 2013 and May last for six months.

Long-term solutions

Schatz said the interim improvements Will reducing traffic for seven to 10 years.

State officials are discussing a long-term fix for 2020, he said.

"[The price of] the ultimate solution, the extension of the highway, Has A lot of zeros, " he said. "It 's last estimated to be north of $ 400 million. "