Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority queues up another big project

Work on the Mopac Improvement Project is slowly trudging to its long-delayed completion, but for many commuters in that part of town, construction-related delays will only shift to the north a few miles. On Wednesday, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority Board of Directors voted unanimously to exercise its right to build the 183 North Mobility Project, which will add six new lanes to the eight-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 183 between Mopac Boulevard and R.M. 620. Four of the lanes will feature variable-priced tolling. Drivers will be able to access the other two lanes without paying a direct fee. The board’s vote came after CTRMA Director of Engineering Justin Word informed the directors that the Texas Department of Transportation had given them the green-light by issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact (also known as a FONSI) in response to the project’s environmental assessment. According to the project’s website, its preliminary construction cost is $650 million. As for the schedule, the site remains mum about specifics but says that the project will now enter the final design stage. It goes on to say, “Additional funding for final design and construction must be identified in order for the project to move forward.”