Proposed Plan to Widen Highway 79 in Round Rock

TxDOT officials recently invited public comment on an extensive plan to widen Highway 79 in Round Rock. Estimated to be complete by 2024, the project is designed to relieve congestion and will ultimately add several lanes of traffic to widen this crucial roadway. The plan includes new options for half-clover traffic patterns and innovative bridge infrastructure.

Ultimately, a third travel lane will be added to Highway 79 in each direction. Some parts of the road will have a total of eight lanes of traffic, excluding turn lanes. The project will stretch from Sam Bass Road in west Round Rock to beyond A.W. Grimes Boulevard in east Round Rock.

A new half-clover traffic pattern is proposed for the Mays Street intersection. Meanwhile, innovative four-lane bridges that would direct traffic over the intersections are slated for the A.W. Grimes and Mays Street intersections. Additional congestion improvements are also planned for the Sunrise Road and Georgetown Street intersections.

Although a total cost figure has not been provided, federal funds are expected to pay for part of the project, according to TxDOT.

At this time, environmental studies are in process and are expected to last through 2019. If the environmental clearance is given, TxDOT will begin right-of-way acquisitions in 2019, and the total build-out timeframe is estimated at two years.

Image courtesy Community Impact.