Changes to US 183 are causing airport travel delays. Here's how you can avoid them

AUSTIN, Texas — Your trip to the airport has gotten much more confusing due to the new phase of construction to Highway 183.

Traffic heading to the airport and towards Downtown Austin looks different if you're using US 183. Changes started at the beginning of July as crews prepared to demolish and rebuild the Colorado River Bridge. 

First, southbound traffic on 183 saw the change, which took effect between Bolm Road and Thompson Lane where traffic shifted to the newly constructed general purpose lanes.

If you're traveling south on Airport Boulevard, you now have a new traffic light at Montopolis to turn west on Montopolis.  

Then, this past Saturday,  northbound lanes on US 183 experienced the second phase of the traffic shift. Drivers headed toward Downtown Austin or Airport Boulevard will be traveling on a newly constructed bridge over the Colorado River.

WATCH: Construction begins on U.S. 183 in Austin

This by far is the traffic shift that will impact drivers traveling northbound on US 183 the most.

According to the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, we currently see about 60,000 cars driving on US 183. Once this construction is over, we'll be quadrupling this amount.

RELATED: Plan approved to add toll lanes on US 183 North

For the next year as crews continue their construction, drivers heading to downtown or Airport Boulevard will have to use the following detour:

Take US 183 northbound over the new bridge and use the Bolm Road U-turn to head towards those roads. 

Since Levander Loop has been converted into one-way traffic, many drivers will be using the U-turn at Bolm Road. A light has been added at that U-turn to control traffic in that area.

RELATED: What the Beep: A new bridge in South Travis County was paid for years ago. So where is it?

Work to tear down and replace the Colorado River Bridge is expected to take approximately one year, so drivers are urged to plan ahead and allow extra time for travel.

South Austin drivers should also keep in mind that if you're trying to access the Montopolis neighborhood, your detour will be to use SH 71 and Riverside as alternate routes.

Once all the work on US 183 is complete, it will have three tolled lanes and three non-tolled frontage road lanes each way.

PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: 

Pharmacy error left golf ball-sized hole in Leander woman’s arm

Video: Fight breaks out on busy street after Round Rock road rage incident

Trash pile fire sends smoke plume into the air in South Austin