ROUND ROCK, Texas — A $27 million project on Gattis School Road just started construction in Round Rock, but it has residents wondering about a lingering project nearby -the Kenney Fort extension- that was supposed to alleviate traffic in the area.
Some drivers in the area have expressed concerns with both projects.
KVUE viewer Mary Southon wrote, "The unfinished Kenney Fort extension, it has been at least three years of one-lane traffic on Forest Creek heading west. It's caused a dangerous traffic diversion on Gattis School Road, and now construction is starting on Gattis School. And now construction is starting causing lane closures and is expected to last two years."
Another viewer, Elisha Guidroz, wrote, "It was originally supposed to be done in late 2022, then revised to Spring 2023. A year and a half later, still not done and the contractor is sitting on their thumbs and our tax dollars."
When finished, the project is supposed to serve as a much needed alternative to Interstate 35. It stretches from Old Settlers Boulevard down to Forest Creek Drive, hugging along Old Settler's Park, the Dell Diamond and Kalahari Indoor Water Park.
One man who works in the area said the sign for the project was recently taken down, making him worry the timeline is changing yet again.
"Yeah so over the last four years, they've been working on the project and I know they had a sign here that had a completion date of 2022, I believe it was March of 2022, and they have been way past and it just seems like there's no work going on at this point. It's come to a halt," Kelsey Ware said.
"It's a question of where are we at? When is it going to be completed?"
Round Rock public works director Michael Thane gave the following reasons for why there's been a delay with the project:
- Covid-induced material and labor issues
- "Poor performance" from the contractor post-COVID
- The city of Round Rock estimates six more weeks for new segments to be done