TxDOT cancels in-person meeting on US 290 widening plans; virtual option available
The Texas Department of Transportation holds a virtual hearing Tuesday about plans to upgrade a major roadway just southwest of Austin.
Editor's note: This article is updated to reflect TxDOT's announcement that it was canceling the in-person meeting about the 290 upgrade project.
AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Department of Transportation said it was canceling an in-person public meeting planned for Tuesday evening about plans to upgrade a major roadway just southwest of Austin. TxDOT said the in-person meeting was cancelled due to weather concerns but a virtual meeting option was still available.
Project details
TxDOT wants to widen around 13 miles of U.S. Hwy. 290 from RM 1826 in southwest Austin to west of RM 12 in Dripping Springs.
According to the department, the project would upgrade U.S. Hwy. 290 from an undivided, four-lane roadway to a divided, six-lane highway.
TxDOT said the controlled-access highway would have frontage roads with both entrance and exit ramp access. There would be no traffic signals on the main lanes, TxDOT said. The project would connect to Oak Hill Parkway which currently under construction, according to the department.
TxDOT documents said the proposed project would, subject to final design considerations, require additional right of way and potentially displace 12 residences and 83 non-residential structures, including one church. Department officials said relocation assistance is available for people and businesses who would be displaced, and those interested can call the TxDOT Austin District Office at 512-832-7000 for more information.
Documents also said part of the proposed project would occur within the Edwards Aquifer Contributing zone and involve construction in wetlands.
TxDOT officials said any environmental documentation or studies, any maps and drawings showing the project location and design, tentative construction schedules and other information regarding the proposed project are on file and available for inspection Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the TxDOT Austin District Office at 7901 N I-35.
Why TxDOT is considering the project
TxDOT officials cited safety concerns as a significant motivator behind pursuing the project. TxDOT's virtual open house meeting discussed high speeds paired with driveways, intersections and turning movements from the center lane as factors that can lead to a higher volume of crashes.
Safety data from the project corridor reported 1,501 crashes between 2016 and 2022, with 4.8% of those crashes were classified as severe. Comparatively, the statewide average for severe crashes on urban corridors is listed at 2.8%.
"The most reoccurring type of crashes involved rear-end collisions, left-turn collisions, and collisions with fixed objects," TxDOT officials wrote in the presentation.
Currently, the corridor has an average annual daily traffic volume of more than 31,000 vehicles, with a projected 45% increase in peak hour traffic volume from 2019 to 2045 if no action is taken.
Proposed project timeline
TxDOT conducted both planning and feasibility studies for the project in 2019 and 2020. Officials said the department expects an environmental decision on the project will be made in 2024.
As for final design, right-of-way acquisition and utility adjustment details, those timelines are still undetermined. TxDOT documents added a potential project construction start timeline has yet to be identified.
Hearing details
TxDOT said the virtual public hearing will consist of a pre-recorded presentation and will include both audio and visual components. Materials will be posted online by 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
According to TxDOT, comments can be submitted online or by mail.
Here is the mail address:
TxDOT Austin District Office
Attn: Solomon Bekele, P.E., PMP
P.O. Box 15426
Austin, TX 78761
You can also email comments to US290W@gmail.com by Feb. 6.
The department it must get the comments by Feb. 6 to include them in the official record of the virtual public meeting.
Responses to comments received will be available online at www.txdot.gov once they have been prepared.
Future public involvement meetings are tentatively planned for the summer and fall, with the fall meeting classified as a public hearing on the project.