Austin Council OKs $27.5 Mil for MoPac Extension

AUSTIN-The Austin City Council Thursday voted to put up $27.5 million to extend MoPac Expressway to Texas 45. The money will pay the city’s portion of buying rights of way and relocating city utilities. About $23 million of the money the city of Austin is spending on the MoPac extension comes from Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The connection between MoPac, the main traffic artery through central Austin, and the new Texas 45 is expected to relieve traffic congestion in south Williamson and north Travis counties. Both roadways also are expected to lead to more development in the area.

Texas 45, a $500-million, 15-mile highway, is to arc across Austin’s northern tier from the US Highway-RR 620 area east through Round Rock to FM 685. It will cut through the 230-acre La Frontera mixed-use development in Round Rock.