Hwy 183 North Project almost complete

Hwy 183 North Project almost complete

The Hwy 183 North Project will fast track the link from Liberty Hill to downtown Austin, with new express lanes and no red lights.

AUSTIN, Texas - The expansion of a major highway in Austin is nearing completion. 

The Hwy 183 North Project will fast track the link from Liberty Hill to downtown Austin, with new express lanes and no red lights.

The backstory:

The long rows of white stakes being installed on Hwy 183 are called delineators. Eventually, 11,000 will be up. They separate the toll and free lanes between MoPac and Lakeline Mall. 

Crews worked overnight installing the last few sections on the northbound side.

"Sometime before the 10th of January, we think you'll see the northbound 183 express lanes open," said Mike Sexton, who is Director of Engineering for the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority.

The $612 million project officially broke ground in January 2022. Now with the final stages in play, Sexton said 500 workers are in the construction zone every day making the final hard push.

New sections of Hwy 183 take shape

Highway 183 through northwest Austin is undergoing a massive rebuild. The two separate projects are both running a little behind schedule. But, one small section is open, and it's providing a new lane addition for commuters.

"The contractor himself has offered incentives and bonuses for his teams to stay out there and just work through the holidays as much as possible so that the public comes back from the holiday break and starts getting to see a new roadway," said Sexton.

The new expressway's southbound lanes will open in February. It’s estimated that traveling the twin express lanes will take nine minutes during the morning and afternoon rush.

The non-tolled lanes are also being expanded and commutes on them are expected to be cut by 24 minutes in the morning and 16 minutes faster in the afternoon. Some people who spoke to FOX 7 Austin have doubts about the time-saving promises.

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"I don't think it's going to be any faster. I think the congestion is going to maybe be slight in the beginning, but eventually more people are going to be using the road, so they'll be back to square one," said James Green.

Now, when you leave Liberty Hill, you won't hit a red light until you hit downtown Austin.

"As someone that went to UT in the 90s, it's mind-boggling that you could even get out to Liberty Hill that quickly, but you're also going to have an opportunity to drive out to where you can afford to live. You want to live in the Hill Country, and you want a community end, there'll be an opportunity for you to be able to ride on that road without a signal light anymore," said Sexton.

Austin's I-35 expansion project update

Dig deeper:

In a way, the Hwy 183 North project, and others in the metro area, are like a dress rehearsal for what's coming from TxDOT on I-35.

"And they're learning all those lessons to apply those on I-35 as it starts construction. And I think you'll see that traffic will continue to move even during that project," said Sexton.

A fully expanded Hwy 183 is expected to provide a critical bypass of I-35, along with the upgrades on MoPac, Loop 360, and SH 130. But as major road construction is about to move into the core of Austin, the gridlock relief that arrives in 2026 will not last.

"Maybe in 10 years, with the influx of new people slowing down or leveling out a little bit, maybe, but I'm not holding my breath and, you know, at least for the foreseeable future, I think we're going to keep limping along the roadways that we've got, unfortunately," said Connor Jones who grew up in Dripping Springs.

But with an expanded 183, there is a path forward.

"It's amazing to see you start out with this large puzzle. We did the border several years ago, and we've been filling in all these little pieces, and we're getting close to that last puzzle piece next year, that'll, that'll finish off that puzzle. It's really exciting to get that done," said Sexton.

What's next:

One of the last sections to open will be the fly-over connectors with MoPac.

Some landscaping work, according to Sexton, is expected to stretch into 2026.