AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's Note: The video above is from a report that aired in June.
According to a draft plan, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) plans to spend $7.3 billion on Austin-area roads over the next 10 years, including projects in Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet and GIllespie counties.
Every year, TxDOT's statewide projects are outlined in the department's 10-year plan, called the Unified Transportation Program (UTP). The UTP includes project priorities and funding projects in 25 districts across Texas.
The 2023 draft plan has three main objectives: to promote safety, preserve the state's assets and optimize the performance of the state's transportation system overall.
The draft plan states that highway safety is a top priority in the Austin area. In particular, TxDOT is focused on alleviating congestion on Interstate 35, "one of the most congested highways in the state." Many of the projects listed in the draft plan aim to alleviate backups on I-35.
But I-35 isn't the only roadway TxDOT hopes to address over the next decade. The draft plan also includes improvements to the intersection at Courtyard Drive on Loop 360/Capital of Texas Highway, projects geared toward easing congestion on Texas 71 east of I-35 and a direct interchange where 71 meets US 183.
To learn more about TxDOT's goals and see the projects the department has outlined, take a look at the full 2023 draft plan.
TxDOT is asking for public feedback on the plan. Statewide public comment is open until Aug. 8 before the Texas Transportation Commission votes on the program on Aug. 30. Learn more.
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