Project teams have broken ground on the State Highway (SH) 71 Express Lanes project in Austin. Officials with McCarthy Building Cos., the Texas Dept. of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) marked the start of construction on January 28.
The $96.3 million project will incorporate the building and improvement of express toll traffic lanes on SH 71. Scope of the project includes the design and construction of 4.5 miles of one toll lane in each direction on SH 71 between Presidential Blvd. and SH 130. The project also includes construction of a bridge over SH 130 with ramps connecting the toll lanes and SH 130, the reconstruction and realignment of the intersection at SH 71 and Farm to Market Road (FM) 973, widening of SH 71 from Presidential Blvd. to SH 130 to allow for three non-tolled lanes in each direction, as well as a pedestrian pathway system.