DRIPPING SPRINGS — Feedback from the US 290 from Oak Hill to Dripping Springs Environmental Study done by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) was released earlier this month.
TxDOT conducted an environmental study to evaluate long-term safety and mobility solutions along US 290 from RM 1826 in southwest Austin to Rob Shelton Boulevard in Dripping Springs. According to TxDOT, US 290 between Oak Hill and Dripping Springs does not adequately accommodate current traffic volumes, resulting in congestion and reduced mobility. Since 2010, daily traffic has increased by up to 50% within the study area and the number of vehicles traveling along US 290 is expected to increase by three to five times over the next 30 years.
In addition, about one crash occurs every other day along US 290 in the study area, according to TxDOT, and 1,245 crashes were reported between 2016-2022 — 19 of those crashes were fatal, 44 resulted in serious injuries and 323 resulted in other injuries. Five crashes involved people walking or biking and two people walking died.
