New access road to ease I-35 congestion

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A new northbound access road in Georgetown will take 20 months to build, but it will help manage traffic in a section of Georgetown projected to keep booming, said Georgetown Mayor George Garver.

That's why he and other city leaders were at yet another highway project groundbreaking ceremony that seem to be more common around Williamson County.

This particular one will launch the start of a new northbound access highway stretching from  Westinghouse road all the way up to State Highway 29 on the east side of Interstate 35.

"Adding the frontage road here will allow traffic to move when there are problems on I-35 that happen frequently," said Williamson County Commissioner Valerie Covey. "It will also allow, as I said, direct connect to the hospital."

Garver said the project is also part of future planning to accommodate the projected 1 million new residents expected in Williamson County by 2040.

'It's our effort to begin to plan ahead," he added, "To make our roads and our other infrastructure in place, in time, to serve the people who may be coming to this area in the future."

But the construction project will not be similar to many others, the construction of it will actually be happening directly above some of the Inner Space Caverns.

Taunya Vessels, general manager at the Inner Space Cavern, Georgetown's biggest tourist attraction, said the new access road will help bring more visitors coming from both north and south of the interstate.

"Right now if you're heading north on 35 there's not any signs that indicate to you where you need to exit but hopefully we'll be getting a sign that says inner space cavern road exit," said Vessels.

But planning for this extension took more time, effort and research than others. Vessels said the county and The Texas Department of Transportation had to be extra vigilant to make sure building over existing parts of some underground caves would not be hazardous to both structure and critters living underground.

"It's been determined that it's very safe," said Vessels, "There's at least 30, 35 feet of solid rock between the cave and the surface."

Up on ground level, construction will begin in the coming weeks and nearly two years and almost $19 Million later,  folks will be talking about about how little Georgetown 'used to be'.

To see the environmental studies on the project click here .