By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Construction is set to begin on the new bypass road that will be created between  the giant power lines and will connect RM 620 and RM 2222.

“This is an amazing day for our community,” said Brian Thompto, chairman of the Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association, who has been advocating for congestion relief in Four Points for years. “We’ll begin to get real meaningful relief for our community and our students, who are stuck on the bus for an hour getting to school.”

Texas Department of Transportation hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at the location of where the bypass road will intersect RM 2222, between Alicante Townhomes and across the street from the Bell Four Points apartments near Target. Officials from the city of Austin, TxDOT and from the Four Points area helped usher in the much needed road on Dec. 11.

“There are about 50,000 vehicles passing through the Four Points intersection per day. That number was about 38,000 in 2014,” said Brad Wheelis, TxDOT public information officer. 

In the last five years, more than 12,000 vehicle trips have been added each day through the RM 620/RM 2222 intersection.

The bypass road will be constructed from RM 620, about a mile north of Steiner Ranch, to RM 2222 just east of the Four Points intersection. The bypass is expected to be complete in spring 2021.   

“Once this project is complete, drivers in the area will notice a substantial improvement in their commute,” said Tucker Ferguson, TxDOT Austin district engineer, at the ceremony on Wednesday. “The bypass road will divert a lot of the traffic we now see at the Four Points intersection.”

The construction cost for the new bypass road is $15.8 million with a $7.5 million contribution from the city of Austin. Capital Excavation Company is the contractor working on the project. 

“We know that mobility unlocks opportunity. When we provide safe, efficient travel options, we better connect our resources and opportunities for everyone,” said Gina Fiandaca, Mobility Assistant City Manager with the city of Austin. She spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“We’re in a position to deliver projects faster than ever due in no small part to our partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation,” Fiandaca said.

“This is amazing. It shows what happens when different agencies work together,” SRNA’s Thompto said.

City of Austin, TxDOT and Travis County have all been talking about plans to alleviate congestion in Four Points for years.

In 2014, Thompto said he had a meeting with David Greear, engineer at Travis County, and Paul Workman – R, District 47 Representative at the time, at the Wells Fargo bank branch near Walgreens. The meeting was not long after the right-turn lane near Walgreens was drastically shortened at the RM 620/RM 2222 intersection. Thompto advocated for traffic relief and pleaded with the officials to help. 

“Greear said, ‘Let’s take another look down the powerlines,’” Thompto recalled. “Net of it is, six years later, now we’re finally building it.”

The city of Austin funding for the bypass was critical for the project to move forward.

“This is part of the 2016 bond program which is wildly successful right now in terms of getting projects out on schedule, on budget and delivered on time,” said Robert Spillar, director of transportation, city of Austin Transportation Department. 

“Our regional partnership with TxDOT demonstrates to communities that TxDOT, Austin and regional partners not only can work together but deliver our major projects that improve the safety and the mobility of our community,” Spillar said.

The new bypass road is the second of two projects going on to improve mobility at the Four Points intersection. 

Project 1, which is widening RM 2222, broke ground nearly a year ago in January. The project is costing some $23.6 million, $18 million for the roadway construction and $5.7 million to move and realign utilities. It is expected to be complete by summer 2020, weather permitting. 

A raised median on RM 2222 will also be included in the road improvements to help with safety and to prevent people from using the middle lane as a merge lane.

Combined, the two RM 620/RM 2222 projects will cost approximately $39.4 million to complete. 

“This is a great development. It is really taking a big step forward in the right direction,” Thompto said.