AUSTIN (KXAN) — We’ve been covering the construction progress on Interstate 35 in south Austin and north Austin, but the Texas Department of Transportation has its sights set on a long-range plan that would improve I-35 through Williamson County.
This evening from 5-7 pm TxDOT is hosting an open house to get feedback from the public about their ideas on how to improve I-35 between SH 45 North in Round Rock and Hwy 29 in Georgetown.
The idea is to add HOV lanes in each direction and improve the major intersections along that stretch of I-35.
KXAN Traffic Anchor Erica Brennes sat down with Bradley Wheelis with TxDOT to learn more about the project.
Brennes: Let’s let’s talk about what TxDOT is focusing on with I-35 between Georgetown and Round Rock and that corridor.
Wheelis: As you know, Erica, we’ve got a lot of traffic in that area, from Georgetown to Round Rock, there are people now commuting into that area to work. I-35 is being used quite a bit, we expect by 2045, that the population in this area in Williamson County could be 1.3 million people. And so we have to accommodate for that.
Brennes: Does this mean we will have more lanes on the main lanes of 35, between Georgetown and Round Rock?
Wheelis: When you add those HOV lanes? The answer is yes. So we’re not going to take away the lanes for people who are in a single driver in a vehicle, right? We don’t want to take anything away and force people to make a decision here. And so what we’re doing is looking at HOV lanes, which would be additional lanes on the main lanes of I-35.
Brennes: So big picture-wise, what I’m hearing is that potentially HOV lanes all the way from SH 45. South, up and down I-35 all the way to Georgetown?
Wheelis: Yes, that’s that’s what we’re looking at. That’s to keep that traffic moving, whether it’s local, or it’s regional. And so we got a lot of folks who are again commuting to the office, going to an event and if you have more than one person in your vehicle, there is a more efficient way or more reliable way to get there reliable commute times. That’s what the HOV lanes are designed to do. And so we think that that’s a good way to start mode shift to get people to think about why am I in my vehicle alone? Can I take somebody–a coworker with me or somebody who works near where I work, or if we’re going to an event, let’s not meet everybody there. Let’s carpool there. And so when we see this mode shift, people taking the bus and using transit, we move more people in fewer vehicles. And that’s the main goal of these non-toll managed lanes.
Brennes: One last question, let’s talk about the timing. This is obviously very early, correct? We don’t have any sort of timing that you could predict as far as a completion date, or even a start date, I’m assuming?
Wheelis: Right, as you know, we plan far in advance, so that we can take in all the public feedback, we can do the environmental studies to make sure that that we’re in compliance and that we’re looking out for the community and that we’re looking at all facets of the environment. And once we get through that process, and we’re able to show a design to the public and get feedback on the design or designs, there could be multiples here, then that’s when we move forward right now this project is not funded, and we don’t have a construction date because we are very early in the process here.