MANOR, Texas (Austin Business Journal) — The state’s plan to expand and realign FM 973 in eastern Travis County could have major implications for the region’s landowners and businesses.

They could include sparking a new wave of development in one of the county’s last large swaths of open land.

The project, which remains unfunded, is expected to cost taxpayers about $167 million and includes plans to expand the two-lane road to six lanes, creating a more substantial link between far east Austin and Manor. As proposed, the Texas Department of Transportation plans to reroute a 5.7-mile stretch of FM 973 farther east between the State Highway 130 toll road and U.S. Route 290.