Little bits of big news
Expect big fines, street closures in May
HUTTO — The city has initiated a pavement preservation project that will be taking place through May 22. Holbrook Asphalt will be performing street maintenance on 28 roads throughout the city, and those roads will be closed during the treatment. The company will be applying a bonding agent to the roads that the company says will significantly extend the life of the streets and provide a smoother ride.
Residents of roads being treated will have a notification posted at their house 72 hours before the street closure. Streets being treated will be closed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and no parking or driving will be allowed on the streets.
Driving on the streets during the closure will result in a minimum $750 charge to repair damage done to the roadwork.
According to the city website, residents will be required to turn off all outside water during the treatment, or pay a minimum of $750 for any road damage caused by their
water. Any cars parked on the street during the closure will be towed at the owner’s expense.
Trash collection will be scheduled before 7 a.m. on its regular day if a road is scheduled for closure on pick-up day.
Road closures may affect school bus routes. Parents are encouraged to check their school bus tracking app for changes.
A list of streets affected is available at huttotx.gov.
Road relief in the future Standstill traffic on U.S. Highway 79 as it crawls through Hutto isn’t being ignored, but plans for relief are running at a snail’s pace.
Work on a road to connect FM 3349 to FM 973 and bypass Hutto’s downtown won’t begin until 2027, according to a recent release from the county. Williamson County has requested a $40 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to build the road, which will help divert freight traffic out of the middle of town.
The grant is through a state program specifically set up to speed transportation for high-tech production facilities like Samsung Austin Semiconductor and others coming to the area. It is being called the CHIPS Act Loop Jobs Connector project.
If approved, the grant would pay for 80% of the road cost with the remaining $10 million to come from Williamson County 2023 road bond funds.
