ROUND ROCK, Texas — For anyone who's driven on RM 620 in Round Rock, you know it can get congested, especially because of a train that crosses the road near I-35.
So, the city is proposing two changes.
"It's a high-growth area, and we're dealing with the challenges that brings,” Gary Hudder, transportation director for the City of Round Rock, said.
A video rendering provided by the city shows an overpass and a traffic circle built at the intersection of RM 620 and Chisholm Trail Road.
"This is a very congested corridor for us,” Hudder said.
The train holds up a lot of drivers, and it has for a long time. It comes from a rock quarry and can be very slow.
"Over the course of several decades, the railroad has gotten much more cooperative with the city. About trying to schedule trains not at peak times," Hudder said. “But they can't always guarantee that.”
So, the city plans on building an overpass that will take drivers across the tracks.
A roundabout or traffic circle will take drivers from 620 to Chisholm Trail Road, underneath the overpass.
But why the traffic circle?
“It’s not a clear 90-degree intersection,” Hudder said. “So, it becomes challenging in a small space how to deal with that."
Nearby business owner Cynthia Steinwart agreed traffic is difficult.
"Ironically, even though the traffic is as heavy as it's been in a long time, our sales have come way down,” Steinwart said.
The entrance to the strip mall is difficult to get to. There's utility work going on now to prepare for the overpass and roundabout.
Any more construction has Steinwart worried.
"I've been here seven years. That's going to pretty much annihilate my business," Steinwart said.
Roadwork will stretch to Round Rock High School because there will also be an overpass from Lake Creek Drive to 620.
Construction will start this fall.
It's supposed to take two and a half years to finish and cost $40 to $50 million – which TxDOT is paying the majority of, according to the city.
Williamson County is also contributing funds on the project.