Updating and renovating roads throughout Hays County is a central priority for Hays County leaders as they aim to complete several key road projects.
Currently, $50 million worth of major road projects have budgets set and completion dates finalized, including work on FM 1626 South, the Robert S. Light extension and two sections of RM 967.
FM 1626 south is currently under construction according to county officials and is set to cost $21 million. Construction here started in 2016 and will be completed by the end of this year.
That project calls for widening FM 1626 from RM 967 to FM 2770 to a four-lane divided roadway.
Meanwhile, the Robert S. Light Extension, or Buda Truck Bypass, is currently being designed at a cost of $20 million. County officials are projecting that construction will begin this fall and the road to be completed by early 2021.
The Buda Truck Bypass will connect FM 967 at Robert S. Light Blvd. to FM 1626. The long-awaited project is expected to decrease the amount of 18-wheeler traffic that goes through downtown Buda and Main Street.
Planning is still underway for RM 967 maintenance extending from Main Street to Interstate 35. Construction is estimated to be $5 million and will last from late 2020 to the summer of 2021.
Widening and improvements on RM 967 from FM 1626 to west of Oak Forest is also In the design process, according to county officials. Construction on this section is expected to start summer 2020 and possibly end by early 2021.
