HUTTO — A stalled construction project that will see a pair of bridges on FM 3349 span U.S. 79 will soon start again, Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles said during a recent transportation update.
Boles made his remarks during a Hutto Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon Sept. 11 in which he discussed a variety of roadway projects including the bridges.
“Hopefully sometime after the first of the year, we’ll be able to drive over that bridge. That’s my goal. We’re going as quick as we can because we see the traffic issues. Nobody enjoys driving down U.S. 79 through Hutto,” Boles said about the idle project midway between Hutto and Taylor.
The bridges are part of the East Wilco Highway project destined to connect Texas Toll Road 130 to Interstate 35 North. At the point where they cross 79, the overpasses also span the Union Pacific railroad tracks. However, crossing those tracks requires a permit from the railroad that can take months, or even in some cases over a year, to receive, the commissioner told his audience.
After a recent message from the railroad company indicated the permit needed further review, which could have added a threemonth delay, Boles reached out to U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Waco.
Sessions contacted Union Pacific officials, and now construction should resume soon, Boles indicated.
Between East Wilco Highway, the Chandler Road extension, Samsung Highway and other corridors, bypasses and expansions, Boles said his office is managing 38 different road projects in Precinct 4.
“We have more roadway investments going on in Williamson County than in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming combined. We’ve heard from the voters (that) traffic is important, and we’re getting after it,” he said.
Much of the work was funded by the county’s voterapproved 2019 and 2023 bonds, but some segments of the major thoroughfares being planned will need additional funding to complete.
“At some point in the future, the county will vote to go out to bond again. We’ll ask the citizens what’s important like we always do. And we’ll see if finishing the East Wilco Highway is part of that. That’s going to be pretty important,” Boles said.
The commissioner said in addition to working with Hutto, Taylor and other larger cities in his precinct, he makes sure to set aside money to help smaller towns when they have transportation needs they cannot meet.
“Our little towns aren’t on a long-range transportation plan. These cities don’t have a lot of money,” he said. “It’s not just big roads that are important. We’re also looking to partner with all our cities to see what we can get done.”
Analysts said that much of the traffic volume is prompted by the region’s growing prominence as a high-tech hub centered around the underconstruction, $17 billion Samsung Austin Semiconductor fab in southwest Taylor.
In addition to new businesses moving to the area, Hutto, Taylor and nearby cities are also seeing new subdivisions either going up or in the planning stages.
