Transportation Report: What’s missing on SH 45?

Transportation Report: What’s missing on SH 45?

Written by Cathy Kincaid Tuesday, 07 November 2006

With the opening of the new SH 45, residents from both Pflugerville and Round Rock will soon discover the lack of frontage roads and entrance/exit ramps at Heatherwilde Boulevard.

Heatherwilde Boulevard is a Pflugerville road fast becoming a major artery through the city to SH 45. The road becomes Red Bud Lane, about a half mile north of SH 45, which is also important for the eastern section of Round Rock around Forest Creek.

However, because of financial reasons, TxDOT did not include entrance and exit ramps or frontage roads for Heatherwilde from the toll road.

According to Pflugerville Mayor Cat Callen when TxDOT began planning the toll road, they told Pflugerville the acquisition of right of way through the city of Pflugerville would cost $5 million.

The city countered saying they would pay $2 million in 2004. TxDOT never responded to this, and the city delayed payment in the 2005 budget to avoid raising taxes. This summer TxDOT began looking at putting in the right of way after reviewing the results of a study Pflugerville had done to determine the change to traffic flow if that interchange was put in. The city is still waiting for TxDOT to come back with the final figures.

Pflugerville City Manager David Buesing realizes the importance of this area to Pflugerville.

“We want to have exit and entrance ramps and frontage roads for Heatherwilde just like every other city should have,” Buesing said. “but we cannot unless we pay, but we don’t have that kind of money. How do you make money if you don’t have money? We need the frontage roads to make the money.”

The interchange is also important, Callen says, as an exit for the new Highland Park subdivision.

“They need Heatherwilde to get out of the city,” Callen said. “Without it, all those people will have to come back to Pecan to exit.”

While Pflugerville officials negotiate with TxDOT, travelers on SH 45 needing to exit at Heatherwilde are forced to take an inconvenient exit.

“I would like people to know that the city is waiting for TxDOT for final figures on the right of way,” Callen said. “As soon as we get that we will go forward.”

Toll Road Information

An additional 2.5 miles of SH 45 N connecting to RM 620 were included in the Nov. 1 Central Texas Turnpike opening.

Other roads now open include:

• Loop 1 extension from Parmer Lane to SH 45 N
• SH 45 N from Loop 1 to SH 130
• SH 130 from Highway 79 to Highway 290

Scheduled for a December opening is SH 130 for 14 miles north from US 79 to Georgetown.

Although the roads will be initially free to all customers, motorists can later pay with cash or with a TxTag sticker, a thin, electronic device that goes inside of the windshield behind the rearview mirror.

Free and Discounted TxTag Schedule

• November & December-Tolls will be waived for all customers.
• January-Cash customers will begin to pay a toll while TxTag customers will continue to have their tolls waived.
• February-TxTag customers will pay a half-price toll.
• March-TxTag customers will pay the regular toll, a 10 percent discount off the cash rate.

Setting Up a TxTag Account

• Visit the Customer Service Center at 12719 Burnet Rd., Austin. Open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Visit www.txtag.org
• Call 1-888-GoTxTag
• An initial payment of $20 is needed to set up an account.