Work on the $612 million 183 North Project in Northwest Austin has begun.
A virtual groundbreaking ceremony on Jan. 26 hosted by the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority signaled the start of the construction. A tree was ceremoniously planted and dedicated to five Round Rock Independent School District educators whose schools are located along the project's corridor.
"We're excited to be breaking ground on the 183 North Mobility Project in this way. Less congestion on 183 North means less time in traffic for our educators, improving quality of life for them and all the lives they touch," said Mobility Authority Executive Director James Bass.
The main aim of the 183 North Project is to reduce congestion, improve mobility and also provide reliable travel times to transit and emergency vehicles.
"Something that will help daily commuters going from North Austin or Cedar Park or outside regions to the downtown Austin corridor," says Mike Sexton, acting director of Engineering with the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority.
The project is also going to add approximately 1.5 miles of new bike lanes, which is a piece of great news for Austin's cycling community. Around 11 miles of sidewalks will also be added or reconstructed where it's needed along the US 183 corridor to ensure compliance with the American Disabilities Act (ADA).
"There are several sections where the sidewalk ends abruptly or you just can't bike across the roadway anymore because the bike lane ends or there is no way to get from one side of the street to the other," Sexton said.
According to Bass, the 183 North Mobility Project, which will span US 183 from MoPac to SH 45/RM 620, looks to lessen congestion. The nine-mile project will feature two express lanes in each direction and an additional general-purpose lane.
According to the project's website, construction will be limited to off-peak times to ensure minimum impact on traffic. Even though the construction is scheduled to happen 24/7 but at the same time, if any lane closures happen outside of approved time frames, the contractor will face financial penalties.
The 183 North Project is slated for completion in 2026.