WilCo Lauds I-35 at Williams Drive Project In Georgetown

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — State officials joined local dignitaries this week to celebrate a virtual groundbreaking for the $61.7 million I-35 at Williams Drive project in Williamson County.

Texas Department of Transportation officials were joined by the Texas Transportation Commission Chairman J. Bruce Bugg, U.S. Rep. John Carter and Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross to celebrate on Tuesday.

“Today, I am happy to announce we are beginning construction on a new innovative intersection in Williamson County,” Texas Department of Transportation Austin District Engineer Tucker Ferguson said in a prepared statement. “This project will enhance safety and mobility by reconstructing the I-35 at Williams Drive intersection, building bypass lanes and constructing frontage road improvements.”

Future diverging diamond intersection (DDI) for I-35 at Williams Drive. Graphic courtesy of the Texas Department of Transportation.

The I-35 at Williams Drive project includes the construction of a new Williams Drive bridge over I-35 to accommodate a diverging diamond intersection (DDI), northbound and southbound intersection bypass lanes under the Williams Drive bridge, extension of the northbound I-35 frontage road, and improvements to the existing southbound I-35 frontage road and the Austin Avenue intersection at Williams Drive.

The upshot: With approximately 138,000 vehicles traveling on this segment of I-35 each day, this project will reduce the backups on the frontage roads and cross streets. “This is an important project that will enhance safety and mobility in Williamson County,” Bugg observed.

A DDI is an innovative intersection design that improves safety by briefly placing opposing left-turning traffic on the opposite side of the road, reducing potential conflicts at intersections. It also allows traffic to travel more efficiently through the intersection.

“The population growth in the City of Georgetown has been at Williams Drive,” Rep. Carter noted. “I’m excited about the improvements that TxDOT is planning to make.”

Added Mayor Ross: “I-35 is a key part of Georgetown’s transportation infrastructure. A lot of us use it and know how backed up it can get. I can’t wait for the new, safer and quicker drive.”

The project was funded by the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Texas Department of Transportation, while the contractor is J.D. Abrams L.P.