Closing out the year with progress

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Happy holidays!
Construction will shift into high gear in 2022

While families get together to celebrate the holidays, construction on the Oak Hill Parkway will take a brief pause. There are no lane closures planned Dec. 23 -26. Before that break, you may have noticed several of the iconic trees near US 290 and William Cannon Drive received a much-needed trim. The staff arborist says this pruning will keep the trees in good health during upcoming construction.

Neighbors west of SH 71 are seeing work begin on the new frontage roads, water quality ponds, and both retaining walls and sound walls approved for this project. The team is also busy prepping bridge areas for future work east of William Cannon Drive.

Get ready for traffic changes in 2022. This includes a traffic shift at the “Y” interchange for westbound US 290 traffic making the right turn onto SH 71. The same number of lanes will remain open, but the location of the right turn will be moved to new pavement to make room for construction activities.

Drilling will begin next year on bridge foundations along US 290 near the “Y” and William Cannon Drive as well as work adjusting the existing freeway segment west of MoPac to seamlessly fit into the new improvements.

Exact timing of traffic shifts and lane closures will be developed as the design of the project progresses. TxDOT will share information when it becomes available. We urge you to sign up for the weekly construction alert email on oakhillparkway.com

The Oak Hill Parkway has been divided into four segments.

Here’s more about what to expect during 2022 below, weather permitting and subject to change:

US 290 West:

Traffic stays on existing US 290 while new frontage roads are built.
Construction activity will include drainage, sound walls, retaining walls, and roadway.

US 290/SH 71 “Y” Interchange:

Traffic stays on existing US 290 while frontage roads and associated bridges are built. Traffic stays on existing William Cannon Drive north of Williamson Creek while new lanes are built.
Construction activity will include bridges, retaining walls, and roadway.

US 290 East:

Traffic stays on existing US 290 while the freeway and associated bridges are widened to the inside.
Construction activity will include bridges, sound wall, and retaining walls.

SH 71:

Traffic stays on existing SH 71 while new bridges over Williamson Creek are built.
Construction activity will include bridges.

The Oak Hill Parkway is expected to be completed in 2026.

Noise, dust and vibrations: What to expect during construction
While we will do our best to be a good neighbor, construction projects can be disruptive. The Oak Hill community should expect crews working in the corridor during the day, at night and on the weekends. This reduces the project schedule to a shorter duration. Night work allows for fewer daytime traffic impacts.

“As we roll up our sleeves to get this project done, neighbors should expect construction noise and dust, especially those along US 290,” said Christiana Astarita, TxDOT project manager. “We thank you for your patience as we work as quickly and as safely as possible.”

Neighbors and businesses should expect:

Travel delays
Lane shifts, closures and detours
An increase in noise, vibration, dust and lighting (including during night work)
Adjustments to business access
Shifts in the schedule of activities
Minor changes to the project design
Temporary water/power disruptions

You may be hearing nighttime construction noise and wondering why this work is not occurring during the daytime. Nighttime construction activity, while not ideal, is often necessary for public safety. Performed during the day, certain construction efforts can pose a safety and mobility hazard to the traveling public; therefore, TxDOT restricts daytime lane closures along US 290 and SH 71.

While building transportation improvements, the contractor is doing several things to minimize noise:

Concrete surfacing and grinding will only be performed during the day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
During the hours of 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., the contractor will utilize a non-intrusive, self-adjusting noise level reverse signal alarm. This requirement does not apply to paving operations.
Hammering for excavation purposes is not allowed during the hours of 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

While there are mitigation methods in place, noise cannot be eliminated. More questions and answers about what to expect during construction are located on the Oak Hill Parkway site here.

There are also private contractors working in the area on developments unaffiliated with Oak Hill Parkway. These projects are bringing new housing, business development and recreational facilities. Along with that construction comes additional noise and dust. We have also noted some cut through truck traffic in area neighborhoods from trucks not connected with the Oak Hill Parkway project. The private sector construction is further evidence that Oak Hill is growing rapidly, and transportation improvements are necessary to better meet current and future safety and mobility needs.

Progress in photos
For more photos, visit our online gallery.

The team uses a dozer to grade slopes along the US 290 West segment.

A sheepsfoot roller compacts dirt embankments in advance of grading for a new sound wall on US 290 between South View Road and Scenic Brook Drive.

CRC crews use excavators to remove large amounts of dirt before grading begins along the US 290 West segment.

Let's end the streak
It was a milestone Texas did not want to reach – in November 2021, Texas marked 21 years of daily deaths on our roadways with more than 75,000 lives lost in fatal crashes.

For the past several years, about 10 people have died every day in crashes across the state and more than 3,100 people have been killed on Texas roads so far in 2021. A shocking fact is that the death rate climbed to a more than 11 per day during the height of the pandemic, even while traffic dropped by nearly 50%.

Most crashes and fatalities are preventable and are caused by things such as speeding, driving under the influence and distracted driving. To reach the goal of zero deaths, TxDOT uses the 3 E’s approach– engineering, education and enforcement. Everyone has a responsibility to keep our roads and fellow drivers safe.

Let’s do our part Oak Hill.

Ho ho hold that phone call. Avoid distractions and have a safe holiday season!

We’d love to get to know you better
Getting to visit with neighbors, businesses and other future users of the Oak Hill Parkway was a highlight of 2021 and something we will continue in 2022. It allows us to better understand local needs and keep people informed regarding the construction process.

In the past year, we had 36 meetings with 25 businesses in the corridor. We had five neighborhood meetings, representing more than 4,000 Oak Hill residents. We’ve answered hundreds of email inquiries and hotline calls. The project team also stays in close coordination with elected officials for project updates and to help address constituent inquiries about the Oak Hill Parkway.

In addition, we met with emergency responders including area law enforcement, fire fighters and EMS. These meetings with emergency responders are crucial to coordinate the best routes to navigate during construction so response times are not impacted.

We plan on more outreach next year and encourage you to reach out.

If your group, neighborhood, business, or organization is interested in meeting with the project team to learn more, please call us at (512) 342-3344 or send us a message here. We would love to visit with you.