RM 620 Turnaround at IH-35

RM 620 Turnaround at IH-35

Written by Cathy Kincaid Thursday, 03 April 2008

1. Relocate the northbound exit ramp and southbound entrance ramp to IH-35 approximately 500 ft to the south to allow for the new turnaround structure.

2. TxDOT will also add additional lanes to the northbound frontage road so that cars exiting IH-35 can either enter the turnaround bridge to head south or turn left or right at RM620.

3. The length of the project extends 1,000 ft. north of RM 620 to 300 ft. north of McNeil road.

Texas Department of Transportation broke ground on a north to south turnaround at RM 620 and IH 35, March 19. The bridge and additional work along the frontage road will ease traffic congestion approaching downtown Round Rock to the east and neighborhoods on the west side of the interstate.

“This project will increase safety and mobility in Round Rock by giving traffic greater access to business and retail destinations,” said Bob Daigh, TxDOT Austin district engineer, “and, at the same time, ease congestion in Round Rock.”

The need for the turnaround became an issue when TxDOT announced the closing of exit and entrance ramps off IH-35 at McNeil for safety concerns caused by the merger of Toll 45 and IH-35. Round Rock West residents and local businesses in an intense meeting at city hall in March 2006, argued that traffic would grow worse in an already congested area around RM 620 when the ramps from McNeil closed.

Present at that meeting were many of the representatives who also spoke at the recent groundbreaking, including Daigh, U.S. Rep. John Carter, Precinct 1 Commr. Lisa Birkman and Round Rock Mayor Pro Tem Joe Clifford.

“I think many of the politicians here [at the groundbreaking] know what it’s like to walk into a room full of your neighbors who are madder than a wet hen because of traffic problems,” Carter said referring to the 2006 neighborhood meeting. “It’s a perfect example of local government, state government and national government getting together and responding to the individual people of an area.”

Although the idea for a turnaround was on the books, that meeting [with area residents] bumped the project up to a priority need for the city according to Tom Word, chief of public works operations.

Construction on the project began April 1. Major traffic detours will not be required for several months. The project was awarded to Capital Excavation of Austin for $7.5 million and construction time is approximately 15 months.

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