Public Hearing - SH 45 Southwest
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Public Hearing - SH 45 Southwest

Where: Bowie High School Cafeteria
4103 Slaughter Lane
Austin, TX 78749
When: Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Open House: 5 p.m.
Presentation: 6 p.m.
   
Purpose: The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority will host a public hearing regarding the proposed construction of State Highway 45 Southwest (SH 45SW) in Travis and Hays counties. The public hearing will begin with an open house from 5-6 p.m. During the open house, project information will be available for review and project team members will be available to answer questions. Technical presentations will begin at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a public comment period.

All interested citizens are encouraged to attend the public hearing and provide input on the project. Verbal and written comments may be presented at the public hearing. Written comments not submitted at the public hearing may also be submitted to: TxDOT Austin District Environmental Coordinator, Texas Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 15426, Austin, Texas 78761-5426. Comments will also be accepted at the project website. All comments received by Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014, will be included in the official public hearing record.

The public hearing will be conducted in English. Persons interested in attending the public hearing who require auxiliary aids or services, such as interpreters, are requested to contact the project specialist at (512) 832-7369 at least five business days prior to the public hearing so appropriate arrangements may be made. TxDOT will make every reasonable effort to accommodate communication or accessibility needs.
   
Description: The proposed project would entail construction of a new location, limited access toll road extending from State Loop 1 (MoPac) to FM 1626 - a distance of approximately four miles. The preferred alternative would consist of four 12-foot travel lanes (two in each direction); 10-foot outside shoulders; four-foot inside shoulders; and a 10-foot wide bicycle and pedestrian shared use path. It would be located within pre-existing state-owned right of way that varies in width between 300 and 600 feet. No additional right of way would be required to accommodate the proposed facility/preferred alternative and no residential or business displacements would result from implementation. The project area is partially located in the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. SH 45SW is identified in the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization 2035 Regional Transportation Plan.

The purpose of the proposed project is to improve system connectivity, local mobility and travel times, while providing an efficient alternative route to congested local roadways in northern Hays and southern Travis counties. Six preliminary alternatives were evaluated in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Subsequently, the DEIS evaluated the social, economic and environmental impacts of one build alternative (the preferred alternative described above) and the no-build alternative.

The DEIS, maps and other information concerning the proposed project are available for public inspection at the TxDOT Austin District Office, located at 7901 N. I-35, Austin, TX 78753. In addition, the DEIS is on file and available for public inspection at the following locations:
  1. TxDOT Environmental Affairs Division, 118 E. Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78704;
  2. Austin Public Library, Hampton Branch at Oak Hill, 5125 Convict Hill Road, Austin, TX 78749;
  3. Austin Public Library, Pleasant Hill Branch, 211 E. William Cannon Drive, Austin, TX 78745;
  4. Buda Public Library, 303 Main St., Buda, TX 78610.
The DEIS is also available on the SH 45SW project website. A paper copy and other information about the project may be obtained at the requestor’s expense by writing to: Texas Department of Transportation Austin District, P.O. Box 15426, Austin, TX 78761-5426, or by email.
   
Contact: Texas Department of Transportation
Austin District
P.O. Box 15426
Austin, TX 78761-5426
(512) 832-7000
Email