TxDOT proposing $145M FM 812 improvement project
The state agency is proposing a realignment and widening project along FM 812, running from U.S. Hwy. 183 to SH 21 in Travis and Bastrop counties.
Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Transportation will host an in-person and virtual meeting Thursday on proposed improvements along FM 812. A virtual option will be available online by 5 p.m. Thursday, while an in-person session will run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Camino Real Elementary School, located at 2380 FM 812 in Dale.
The state agency is proposing a realignment and widening project along FM 812, running from U.S. Hwy. 183 to SH 21 in Travis and Bastrop counties, per the meeting notice. The project would also improve a sliver of FM 973, from 0.1 miles north of McAngus Road to 0.2 miles south of FM 812.
TxDOT documents describe the current condition of FM 812 as "an undivided rural arterial roadway, consisting of four 12-foot-wide travel lanes (typically two in each direction) with no shoulders from US 183 to FM 973 and two 12-foot-wide travel lanes (one in each direction) with 10-foot-wide outside shoulders from FM 973 to SH 21." Within the project scope, documents note there aren't any existing sidewalks or bicycle lanes available.
Data collected through TxDOT's crash records information system found 1,410 crashes were reported along the project limits between 2013 and 2022, with 32 fatalities listed.
Breaking down the 32 crash fatalities, six of those were of pedestrians killed and 28 were marked as non-pedestrian fatalities. Head-on collisions accounted for 82 of the 1,410 crashes, 352 crashes were rear-end crashes and 432 of them involved vehicles attempting to make left turns.
Previous KXAN reporting found FM 812 is one of the deadliest roads in the Austin area, marked by rapid expansion, high traffic volumes and dated infrastructure.
Proposed changes to FM 812
Under the proposed plan, FM 812 would expand to a four-lane, undivided road, with the addition of a center left-turn lane from U.S. Hwy. 183 to Peterson Road. The roadway would then pivot to a four-lane, divided roadway from Peterson Road to SH 21. A shared-use path on both sides of the road is also considered to enhance pedestrian and cyclist mobility, per the project description.
The proposed project would also construct a new 1.46-mile segment from U.S. Hwy. 183 to FM 973 that will connect FM 812 with the William Cannon Drive and U.S. Hwy. 183 intersection. Project documents also flag upgrades to four bridges along FM 812 and one on FM 973.
Part of the project's work would also realign FM 973 to remove two "substandard 90-degree curves" at the FM 812 intersection.
Tentative costs, project timeline
In total, the FM 812 project length is estimated at 9.49 miles, while the FM 973 segment work would amount to 0.75 miles. TxDOT documents report an estimated project cost of $145 million.
"The FM 812 corridor between US 183 and SH 21 is experiencing significant growth," project documents read. "The roadway does not meet current design standards, resulting in mobility and safety challenges, which will only worsen due to continued development. Upgrades are needed to improve safety and mobility and reduce congestion."
TxDOT documents note officials anticipate the proposal will receive environmental clearance in the spring, with right-of-way acquisition work beginning this summer along with utility adjustments. Design work on the project is expected to wrap in spring 2026, with an anticipated construction start in fall 2026.