Meet the Oak Hill Parkway Team

The team anticipates project completion in 2026.

No. We will be improving and widening the existing freeway in that segment.

Crews have already begun work at this location, which specifically includes the widening of the US 290 mainlane bridges over Old Fredericksburg Road. In addition, we will build new bicycle and pedestrian accommodations including a shared-use path and tie in the existing frontage road at that intersection to the new frontage roads built to the west.

Yes. In the final configuration, the Joe Tanner Lane bridge over Williamson Creek in that location will be converted for pedestrian and bicycle use only, and all vehicular traffic to/from US 290 will use McCarty Lane.

The team will cut about 35 feet into the existing rock wall to excavate and remove material. The effort will make room for the roadway improvements.

Several new bridges will be built over Williamson Creek in various areas along US 290 and SH 71. Drainage improvements for the creek system will also take place as part of project construction. Crews are following water quality best management practices approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) during any work near Williamson Creek.

The new Old Bee Caves Road bridge over Williamson Creek will be constructed beginning in 2022. The team is currently preparing for this reconstruction effort. In 2023, there will be a six-month full closure of Old Bee Caves Road at US 290 to complete the new bridge. During that temporary closure, all traffic heading to/from points north of Williamson Creek on Old Bee Caves Road will use SH 71/Fletcher Lane. More information is coming soon.

Each of the two new flyovers will be built for one lane of travel. They will have room for expansion if warranted in the future.

Depending on the location, the new frontage roads will generally have two or three lanes in each direction. 

We will reconstruct Convict Hill Road at US 290 to be a ground level bridge over lowered US 290 mainlanes. Frontage roads will be built on both sides of the mainlanes that will serve local traffic.

We will reconstruct Circle Drive/South View Road at US 290 to be a ground level bridge over lowered US 290 mainlanes. The traffic light will move to north of that bridge near Mowinkle Drive. Traffic patterns will change as a result. Access to the US 290 mainlanes will be via ramps along the new frontage roads. If you have a specific route of interest, let us know and we can walk you through what that route will be like when the project is complete.

We have heard from many residents that they’d like to see an easy-to-understand image of what US 290 at Circle Drive/South View Road could look like when the project is complete. This spring, we will have a new photographic rendering prepared for the community’s reference. We will post it to the website and distribute it in our e-newsletter.

You can also view the schematic for a layout of what the road will look like.

The drilled shafts for the wall were completed in January 2022. Due to supplier issues, construction teams are still awaiting pre-cast columns and panels to be delivered for installation in Summer 2022.

Traffic plans for this area are still under design and discussion, so we will get back to you with this information at a later date.

We have heard from many residents that they’d like to see an easy-to-understand image of the transition of Oak Hill Parkway into the existing US 290 west of Circle Drive/South View Road. This spring, we will have both a new photographic rendering of what that area may look like at project completion as well as “cartoon” map that better shows the lane configuration. We will post it to the website and distribute it in our e-newsletter. You can today view the schematic for a layout of what the road will look like.

Currently there are two lanes of US 290 in each direction at Circle Drive/South View Road, and when the project is completed, there will, generally speaking, be two lanes of US 290 in each direction at that location. To clarify further, under the new Circle Drive/South View Road bridge will be a westbound entrance ramp lane that merges into the two US 290 westbound mainlanes. The new US 290 westbound and eastbound frontage roads stop at Circle Drive and South View Road, respectively.

TxDOT is monitoring safety and mobility conditions west of the Oak Hill Parkway project. There is a proposed project currently on hold that may address long-term safety and mobility concerns. It picks up where Oak Hill Parkway ends and extends into Dripping Springs. The webpage for that proposed project is here. Let us know if you’d like to be added to the project mailing list in order to receive updates when that project’s status changes by clicking here. 

Currently, there are limited routes for bicyclists and pedestrians in the corridor. The Oak Hill Parkway project includes significant improvements to bicycle and pedestrian mobility, including construction of 14 miles of shared-use path, 1 1/2 miles of sidewalks, as well as Americans with Disabilities Act enhancements at cross streets along the corridor.

TxDOT is in coordination with the city regarding bicycle/pedestrian accommodations including their proposed trails in the area.  

Yes, the team meets quarterly with emergency service providers including fire and police agencies that operate in the project area to ensure they are aware of any major planned detours or changes to traffic patterns. Many of these providers receive weekly updates on construction activities along with scheduled lane closures, lane shifts, and detours.

Construction is taking place during the day, at night, and on the weekends for the duration of the project in order to complete Oak Hill Parkway on schedule by 2026.

In general, we will build frontage roads first throughout the project corridor. Once frontage roads are completed, traffic will be shifted onto the new frontage roads, while construction crews build the mainlanes and cross-street bridges in the middle. In locations where there are no frontage roads being built (such as west of Circle Drive), traffic will be shifted from one side of the road to the other as crews work in the middle. Sign up for updates to make sure you are kept up to date on lane shifts.

Yes. First, the construction team will be building the new US 290 frontage roads. Once complete, we will move traffic onto the new frontage roads and begin bridge construction at the new overpass locations. Through traffic on US 290 will not be impeded during bridge construction. However, drivers that need to cross US 290 at those locations will be detoured to temporary turnarounds or the next available intersection while bridge construction takes place. We also want to note that the temporary cross street closures of roads in close proximity, such as RM 1826 and Convict Hill Road, will not be concurrent.

This work has already begun in the locations where excavation will not interrupt traffic flow on existing US 290.

As a result of the federal noise mitigation process that TxDOT follows, the three sound walls that will be built are: (1) near the Ridgeview neighborhood, (2) near the Bell Quarry Hill Apartments, and (3) near a mobile home park on the east side of the project.

On our FAQ page, there is additional information and some links of interest regarding how traffic noise was studied.

Our contractor will operate a temporary wet batch concrete plant in TxDOT right of way along US 290 in Oak Hill. They expect the plant itself to be delivered to the project area sometime in 2022, although it may not be immediately placed into operation. It will be removed once the project is completed.

The final location has not been determined and TxDOT’s contractor will be basing that decision on construction needs and project progress. The plant might also be moved to several different locations as phases of work are completed.

We welcome residents to sign up for the weekly lane closure e-blasts that include information about the construction activity coming up in the next week. Our quarterly e-newsletters and website will have additional information about upcoming activity and timelines. 

Our outreach team also manages the Oak Hill Parkway website, Twitter account, and hotlines to keep residents up to date. We’re happy to meet with neighborhoods – let us know if you want to set something up!

In addition to electronic road signs that notify drivers of upcoming lane shifts or closures, the team will install a “Temporary Travel Time System” along the Oak Hill Parkway corridor. Devices will be placed at different locations throughout the project area to provide commuters with as much real-time traffic and travel information as possible so they know what to expect and can adjust their route if they like.

One of the reasons TxDOT must make improvements in Oak Hill is the lack of viable alternative routes. By improving mobility at the “Y” interchange, we expect improvements in traffic flow in the existing roadway network at project completion.

The best possible alternative route will depend on your destination and the time of day. Free navigation systems such as Google maps can provide real time best alternatives for you. When the project has detours in place, we will notify the community of those routes. 

At the same time, we understand that even prior to construction some drivers avoided the “Y” interchange by taking alternative routes such as Circle Drive and Thomas Springs Road. During construction, this may continue.

Our method to mitigate congestion along alternate routes is by keeping traffic flowing on US 290 and SH 71 as best we can. This effort includes keeping two lanes open in each direction on US 290 and SH 71 during the daytime hours. Lane closures will generally occur on those two highways in the nighttime hours (9pm-5am) with very limited daytime closures. We are also working to keep drivers informed of delays and detours so they can plan accordingly. 

Specific to our team, TxDOT does work to limit construction truck traffic on neighborhood streets within the project area. While some missed turns may occur, the contractor’s trucks are to remain in the state right of way and on state roads to the extent possible.