Improving US 183 from Liberty Hill to Briggs

AUSTIN (KXAN) — TxDOT wants to hear from you about its study to make U-S 183 safer in Williamson and Burnet Counties. The agency is hosting an in-person meeting from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the Briggs Baptist Church on Thursday.

The improvements, if approved will continue the transformation of Hwy 183 from Northwest Austin, up to Briggs.

Currently, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is constructing the 183 North Project from Mopac to SH 45 Northwest. CTRMA is also working on expanding the 183a toll from SH 45 NW up to Hwy 29 in Liberty Hill.

And it appears work won't stop there. With TxDOT, they are now conducting an environmental study on US 183 from Highway 29 in Liberty Hill up to FM 963 in Briggs.

TXDOT will spend the next year evaluating a 23-mile stretch of Hwy 183 and how improving it would impact the environment.

"For the Williamson County section, they're looking at expanding the roadway to be an urban freeway with frontage roads and interchanges along the corridor. And then for the Burnet County section, they're looking at a rural divided highway," Kellen Mohrmann, a TxDOT Austin Spokesperson, said.

TxDOT says Williamson County is the tenth-fastest growing county in the nation with 3-6% annual growth, while Burnet County's population is growing 2-3% each year.
They say with this immense growth, traffic demand, congestion and crash rates are increasing along 183.

"People are flying up and down that road, 65/70 miles an hour, which is the speed limit, and anything we can do to increase the safety is good," Steve Eckert, a resident of Liberty Hill, said.

"We came to see how it affects us. We live off of 183 right now. We currently make a right or left on the 183. Well, if it's divided, it's going to change what we do--how we do it. Not just during construction. How long is that going to take? We're close to the San Gabriel River and multiple bridges. It's not a quick process overall," Eckert said.

As far as the timing of this project, there should be a public hearing next Fall, with a decision following the environmental study in the winter of 2025.