AUSTIN, Texas — The Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously passed Item 21 on their agenda Tuesday, allowing for the change of Harold Green Road near Tesla's new Gigafactory to Tesla Road.
The approval comes as no surprise. In December, a new road sign for Exit 446 was spotted with the words "Tesla Road,” even though the current name was still Harold Green Road.
According to a report from KVUE's news partners at the Austin American-Statesman, a TxDOT public information officer said the premature raising of the new Tesla Road sign was the result of a miscommunication.
"TxDOT, Travis County and Tesla have been in constant communication about infrastructure during construction of the factory off of Harold Green Road," the spokesperson said. "As the result of a miscommunication, the Tesla Road signs were placed on SH 130 before the county officially signed off."
Commissioners clarified Tuesday that they will be working with Tesla to build a new Harold Green Road north of the Tesla factory to make sure that name is preserved.
The Statesman reported that the road has been called Harold Green Road since 1976. It was reportedly named after a local dairy farmer, rancher, homebuilder and tennis enthusiast who died in 1992.
The $1.1 billion factory, now located at 13101 Tesla Road, is off of State Highway 45 and US 130. A quick search in Google Maps will show you that searches for “Harold Green Road” have been updated to reflect the new name.
While its unclear when exactly the factory will begin producing Tesla vehicles, it does appear the factory is nearing its grand opening. Travis County officials have confirmed the facility has received certificates of completion.
The company previously announced that it was moving its headquarters from California to the site of the Austin-area factory in early December. And CEO Elon Musk has hinted that factory tours could be expected by early this year.
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