BEE CAVE, Texas — What was once considered a quaint little town on the edge of the Hill Country, about 30 minutes west of Austin, is now buzzing with growth.
Bee Cave Mayor Kara King knows firsthand how the city has changed over the years.
"When we first moved here 16 years ago, I could get from my house near [State Highway] 71 in Bel Divide to City Hall in three minutes. Now it takes me about 15 to 20," King said. "With no accidents and no traffic backups, I could be in Austin in 25 minutes. It's now 45 minutes to an hour."
King said the city is desperately in need of new options.
"We have no other way to get around besides 71. So everybody that wants to come our direction – not only that lives here, but from Dripping Springs or Marble Falls or even Johnson City or even further out – has to come through Highway 71," King said.
The daily congestion along SH 71 is impacting more than just the daily commute.
When Bee Cave resident Jennifer Richter's barbecue grill blew up in front of her, she sustained burns from head to toe. She said paramedics rushed into her home. What they said next shocked her.
"One of the medics looked at the others as they were gearing up to load me and said, 'Do we need to LifeFlight her?' And I think that moment for me was as scary as the actual blast in my memory," Richter said. "But they started discussing the traffic and if they'd be able to get me there quick enough."
In April 2023, there was a large fuel spill on SH 71 near Hamilton Pool Road that caused residents to be gridlocked on SH 71 for more than six hours.
Now, City of Bee Cave officials say a solution is on the way. Recently, the Bee Cave City Council voted to support a resolution to create a partnership between the City and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for intersection improvements at SH 71 and Hamilton Pool. City officials are also working on their own improvements to provide alternative routes.
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"So, we are moving forward to design a new road that's going to run parallel to 71 on the south side. We're calling it the South West Collector right now. We don't have a name for it. Maybe we'll have a naming contest at some point, but it will help people get around internally," King said.
TxDOT estimates it would take about five years for the construction to be complete. The department is funding the project while Bee Cave Economic Development Corporation will pay for the design.
KVUE has previously spoken with some Bee Cave residents who have environmental concerns about the project and how it could impact native plants and species. King says the City is more worried about the safety for residents on the roads and said idle vehicles sitting in traffic pose a bigger environmental threat to the community than this project will.
At the next city council meeting on Jan. 23, City staff plan to bring an Advanced Funding Agreement (AFA) for final council approval.