By Moses Leos III
After years of discussion and delays, the controversial State Highway 45 Southwest project that would bridge FM 1626 and Loop 1 in Austin has been cleared for construction.
That decision was delivered from TxDOT to Hays County Precinct 2 Commissioner Mark Jones via email on Tuesday. According to Jones, construction on the project could begin by the end of 2015.
“I’m excited about it,” Jones said in a phone interview. “A lot of people have worked long and hard (on this project). To get this close is a good feeling.”
TxDOT’s decision comes two weeks after it green-lighted the four-mile, four-lane toll road to proceed toward final design and construction phase.
On March 4, TxDOT handed down its record of decision (ROD) to move forward with the “selected alternative” for SH 45 SW.
The road would be built on TxDOT’s existing state-owned right-of-way alternative. According to the ROD, design changes were made as TxDOT developed the final environmental impact study. One change includes realignment of the route to avoid impact to sensitive karst features in the ROW. Other changes include using permeable friction course pavement and creating water quality ponds.
According to the ROD, the alternative doesn’t “displace residences or businesses,” or affect water quality protection lands (WQPLs).
“A lot of people are wanting to build this road as environmentally sensitive as possible,” Jones said. “We felt confident all along that it could be built and it’s environmentally sensitive.”
The toll road would run southeast from the intersection of MoPac and existing SH 45 to FM 1626 approximately one mile south of Brodie Lane. It will feature 12-foot wide lanes within a ROW of 300 to 600 feet. The project will also include a 4.5-mile, 10-foot wide shared-use path from FM 1626 to Escarpment.
Access to the toll road would be limited to FM 1626, Bliss Spillar Road and Loop 1 heading west and SH 45 west of Loop 1 going east.
According to Jones, the Rodriguez Transportation Group (RTG) was selected to develop final design and construction plans.
“There could be more attempts to slow it down or stop it, but I don’t know if they’ll be successful,” Jones said. “I don’t think they will.”
