SH 71 East Corridor
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SH 71 East Corridor

State Highway 71 serves as a major corridor for motorists traveling to and from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the city of Bastrop, and other central Texas communities. In fact, in 2015, the average daily traffic on SH 71 just east of SH 130 was more than 50,000 vehicles a day. With continued growth in eastern Travis and Bastrop counties, TxDOT is planning for improvements on this section of SH 71 to enhance safety and manage congestion.

Ross Road and Kellam Road

This project is under construction. The project will remove traffic signals from the mainlanes by constructing overpasses on SH 71 at Ross Road and Kellam Road. New frontage roads will be built within the project limits to provide local access. Bicycle and pedestrian accommodations will also be improved and expanded.

Tucker Hill Lane and Pope Bend Road

The two proposed projects will improve safety and manage congestion. Various improvements have been evaluated with the goal of upgrading the existing SH 71 at these intersections. The proposed projects would include:

  • Two new overpass bridges on SH 71 over the existing signalized intersections at Tucker Hill Lane and Pope Bend Road
  • One-way frontage roads within the project limits
  • Improved and expanded bicycle and pedestrian accommodations

The projects require 24.5 acres of right of way at the Tucker Hill Lane intersection and 11.09 acres at the Pope Bend Road intersection. The acreage at Pope Bend Road includes 2.13 acres in McKinney Roughs Nature Park, a park area used by the public, which is subject to Chapter 26 of the Parks and Wildlife Code. No displacements are anticipated for either of the proposed projects.

SH 71 at FM 1209

The proposed project is needed to address increased congestion along SH 71 due to increased population growth and traffic volumes. The purpose of the proposed project is to improve mobility and reduce congestion along SH 71 at FM 1209.

The proposed project would construct a new overpass bridge on SH 71 over the intersection at FM 1209. This would improve mobility by allowing SH 71 through-traffic to flow through the area without stopping. In addition, new frontage roads would be built within the project limits to allow local travelers access to FM 1209. Bicycle and pedestrian accommodations would also be improved and expanded, as a part of this proposed project