AUSTIN, Texas — One of North Austin's most prominent roads will soon be expanding.
On Friday, members of the City of Austin's Capital Delivery Services Department joined with officials from Samsung Electronics and the Pioneer Crossing Elementary School to break ground on the East Braker Lane Expansion project.
The project, which is being completed for the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department, will ultimately extend East Braker Lane approximately three-quarters of a mile from its current endpoint at Dawes Place to Samsung Boulevard. Once completed, officials believe the improvements will reduce congestion on East Parmer Lane.
The Capital Delivery Services Department also cited a number of other potential benefits, which include:
- A new four-lane arterial roadway divided by a median with left-turn lanes at Taebaek Drive
- Center-turn lanes for vehicles turning onto Taebaek Drive or Samsung Boulevard from Braker Lane
- Sidewalks on both sides of the street along project lines
- Pedestrian crossing at Taebaek Drive designed to provide space for people walking, biking and rolling to cross safely, with an emphasis on students at Pioneer Crossing Elementary School being able to safely cross
- Installation of a protected bicycle lane on the north side and an off-street bicycle lane on the south side
- Extension of Taebaek Drive to connect to the new East Braker Lane roadway
Officials estimate the project will cost around $27 million, with funding coming from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), Austin Water and the federal government.
Boomtown is KVUE's series covering the explosive growth in Central Texas. For more Boomtown stories, head to KVUE.com/Boomtown.
