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Manor Expressway Opens with Community Celebration
Following four years of construction, The Mobility Authority held an exciting Grand Opening celebration on Saturday, May 17th for the $426 million Manor Expressway Toll 290. The road opened to the traveling public that evening.
Commuters are eager to use the new facility. By week's end, the average daily weekday toll transactions topped 42,000 - exceeding average daily transactions that were projected for 2015.
An estimated 900+ people attended the fun-filled "On the Road Again" community festival that was held right on the toll road and featured a 5K fun run, the Manor High School Marching Band, live music, food vendors, artisan booths, and more. Visitors also enjoyed MINI Cooper, low rider and classic car shows, a kids' inflatable play area, and best of all, a special ribbon-cutting parade. Dignitaries, riding in vintage cars, broke through a giant ribbon stretched across the toll road.
Click below to watch our video, which chronicles this extraordinary event and major milestone in the Mobility Authority's history.
Acting United States Deputy Secretary of Transportation Victor Mendez was the featured speaker in the ceremony. Additional speakers included Mobility Authority Chairman, Ray Wilkerson, State Senator Kirk Watson, Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, Travis County Commissioner Bruce Todd, Texas Transportation Commissioner, Jeff Austin, III, Bobby Jenkins of ABC Home and Commercial Services, and Mobility Authority Executive Director, Mike Heiligenstein.
The new toll road is the largest road construction project in Austin since the MoPac Expressway opened. It triples the capacity of the old US 290 East and connects Williamson and Eastern Travis Counties via the SH 130 corridor with downtown Austin while maintaining non-tolled frontage roads that were widened and improved. Traffic on 290 East between US 183 and SH 130 has increased by more than 78% since 1990, posing challenges for the quality of life and economic prosperity for area residents.
The project is expected to spur economic development and create jobs in Austin's desired development zone.
Check out the photos from Saturday's event here. |
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