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Under DevelopmentIn This Section:MoPac Improvement ProjectManor Expressway 183A Extension MoPac Improvement Project
The Problem The MoPac corridor is one of Austin’s most important arteries. The primary alternative to Interstate 35, it attracts more than 180,000 cars and trucks a day, serving as a key route to downtown Austin and points beyond. However, in recent years, MoPac has begun to look more like a parking lot than an expressway, and increasing mobility hasn’t proven easy. In 1994, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) first proposed improvements to the corridor, adding the project to the region’s Long Range Transportation Plan. Still, the proximity of nearby homes, the presence of the Union Pacific rail line and limited funding made it difficult to find a workable solution. Who’s Addressing the Problem? In 2002, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority was created and tasked with the mission to enhance mobility through innovation. The community immediately identified the MoPac Expressway as a priority project. The Mobility Authority has been working with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the City of Austin, Capital Metro and other local experts to develop a sensible approach to the mobility problem that takes into account the needs of drivers, transit riders and the concerns of surrounding neighbors. A Potential Solution One of the options being considered would involve expanding the capacity of the existing roadway by possibly adding one Express Lane in each direction between Parmer Lane and Cesar Chavez Street in downtown Austin, with a transition back to the existing facility south of Lady Bird Lake. This option would also consider the construction of sound walls to reduce noise in nearby neighborhoods. The Express Lanes would be designed to provide un-tolled, free-flowing travel to public transit buses and registered vanpools, enhancing the reliability of service provided to customers. To maximize use of the lanes, individual drivers would also have the option to use them if they choose to pay a toll. The toll rates would be adjusted up or down depending on traffic levels to prevent the Express Lanes from becoming congested. The same number of existing lanes would remain available for general use. The Implementation Process While the addition of Express Lanes on MoPac is one possible solution to improving mobility in the corridor, thorough studies will be conducted and feedback will be gathered from the community before any changes are made. That effort will include an environmental study with a full range of alternatives that will be conducted in partnership with TxDOT. During the environmental study, the community will be invited to review the proposal in detail and share their preferences. The extensive public involvement process and the environmental study is expected to take approximately two years to complete. Click here to download the MoPac Improvement Fact SheetMoPac Cross Section Map
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The Manor Expressway will be a 6.2-mile limited-access toll road with three lanes in each direction. It will be constructed in an expanded median of US 290 and will extend from US 183 to east of Parmer Lane. The existing US 290 will be widened and will remain non-tolled.
In March 2007, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority opened the 183A toll road in Williamson County. Since opening day, traffic on 183A has greatly exceeded projections. On average, in 2008, over 65,000 toll transactions occured each day – nearly double the 33,696 projected by traffic and revenue studies. As a result, the Mobility Authority has accelerated development of the northern extension of 183A. The 183A Extension will be a limited-access toll road with three lanes in each direction. It will be constructed in the median of the existing frontage roads from FM 1431 north of RM 2243. The frontage roads will remain non-tolled. Construction began on the project in March 2010, approximately 7 years earlier than originally planned.
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