Traffic Alert: US 183 South Construction Closures And Detours Update

TRAFFIC ALERT: Beginning as early as May 20 and lasting until late 2018, the US 183 southbound exit to Montopolis Drive, located south of Bolm Road, WILL BE CLOSED and the entrance ramp to US 183 from the frontage road near Bolm WILL BE CLOSED. A detour will be in place for drivers who wish to access Montopolis Drive from southbound US 183. Drivers on southbound US 183 should exit at Bolm Road and follow the signed detour to Airport Boulevard. Once on Airport Boulevard, drivers will be able to head south to the steel truss bridge over the Colorado River to reach Montopolis Drive.

Construction of the 183 South Project is in full swing, with heavy activity occurring at Springdale/Manor Road, Boggy Creek, FM 969 (MLK Blvd.), and the Colorado River/Levander Loop interchange.

Significant progress has been made on utility work, and sections of the new general purpose lanes north of Springdale/Manor Road have been paved and are now carrying live traffic.

Following an extended closure of the driveways from the southbound US 183 frontage road into the Springdale Shopping Center, those entrances have been reopened and shoppers are no longer limited to the Manor Road entrances.

Substantial work is taking place at FM 969 (MLK Blvd.), where travel lane capacity has been reduced between Tannehill Lane and Regency Drive so that the contractor can construct the new FM 969 (MLK Blvd.) roadway intersection.

As work progresses, construction in late May/early June will further restrict access between US 183 and FM 969 (MLK Blvd.). As crews widen FM 969 (MLK Blvd.) and grade the intersection to pave the approaches to the new bridge over US 183, they will have to temporarily close a portion of the southbound US 183 exit ramp and a portion of the entrance ramp to northbound US 183. Signed detours will be in place to help drivers navigate around the closures and the project website will provide up to date information. The following are the routes that will be impacted by the closure:

• Drivers exiting southbound US 183 at FM 969 (MLK Blvd.) will be unable to pass straight through the intersection and re-enter southbound US 183. They will also be unable to turn left onto eastbound FM 969 (MLK Blvd.).
• Drivers heading east on FM 969 (MLK Blvd.) will be unable to turn left to enter northbound US 183.
• Drivers exiting northbound US 183 at FM 969 (MLK Blvd.) will be unable to travel straight north through the intersection to re-enter northbound US 183.

These additional closures are expected to last approximately two weeks.

Activities in the Pipeline

The following are some of the current and upcoming construction activities, which will impact traffic in the US 183 corridor:

Current Activities

• FM 969 (MLK Blvd.) has been reduced to one lane in each direction between Tannehill Lane and Regency Drive with traffic shifted to the eastbound lanes to complete roadway construction of the new interchange at US 183. The work involves raising the westbound lanes of FM 969 (MLK Blvd.) approximately 3 feet to connect with the new bridge. The lane reduction will last until summer 2017 and work on the new bridge is anticipated to be complete in late 2017.
• Manor/Springdale Road between Susquehanna Lane (Winn Elementary School) and Pecan Brook Drive is currently reduced to one lane in each direction for several months so that crews can reconstruct the intersection with US 183.
• Dubuque Lane is closed at US 183 for drainage work as well as construction of the new general purpose lanes of US 183. Drivers are being detoured via Langston Drive and Lynridge Drive or Manor Road and Susquehanna Lane. Dubuque Road is anticipated to re-open in mid-2017.
• Traffic shifts are occurring on 51St Street on the west side of US 183 from the Super 8 Motel to the US 183 intersection to accommodate utility relocations. Normal traffic patterns will be restored later this year.
• Tracor Lane and Marcel Gres Drive are temporarily closed at their intersections with Northbound US 183 for utility work, and will remain closed until early/mid-2018. Traffic is being detoured via Techni Center Drive.
• The TxDOT property underneath the Colorado River bridges is closed for the duration of the project to provide a safe work area. Extensive bridge construction is also occurring in this area, including demolition of existing structures, construction of new bridges and expansion of existing ones. To ensure safety, the parking area that provides access to the river and local trails is closed to the public. Those wishing to access the trails can park in the designated parking spaces along Levander Loop.
• The US 183 southbound frontage road between US 290 and Manor/Springdale Road is reduced to one lane for several months to accommodate construction of the new general purpose lanes. This lane reduction should end in summer 2017.
• The Texas turnarounds in both directions at Manor/Springdale Road are closed for retaining wall and bridge construction. Drivers wishing to complete a turnaround movement are able to do so at the signalized intersections instead. This closure is anticipated to end in summer 2017.
• A temporary connection to northbound US 183 has been constructed for residential traffic on Hibbetts Road and Regiene Road due to utility work on Hibbetts Road that requires a temporary closure of a portion of that road for several months.
• The sweeping right from southbound US 183 onto Thompson Lane is temporarily closed for utility work for several weeks. Large trucks heading to the gravel pits will not be able to maneuver the tight right turn, and will follow the signed detour. Cars will be unaffected.
• Central Avenue and Bluestein Drive are temporarily closed at their intersections with northbound US 183 for utility work and will remain closed for approximately 12 months. Traffic is being detoured via Techni Center Drive and Semi-Conductor Drive.
• Hudson Street, on the east side of US 183, is temporarily closed at its intersection with US northbound US 183. Local traffic may follow the signed detour for business and neighborhood access.

Upcoming Activities

• SPRING: Significant activity will continue at the FM 969 (MLK Blvd.)/US 183 intersection, where some portions of the interchange will be temporarily closed for several weeks as crews widen the roadway and grade the intersection to build the approaches to the new FM 969 (MLK Blvd.) bridge. Information was noted above, and will continue to be communicated to the community.
• SPRING: Hudson Street, on the west side of US 183 will temporarily close at its intersection with US 183 for several months to accommodate drainage and utility work.
• SPRING/SUMMER: Thurgood Road, Smith Road, and Eastgate Road will be temporarily closed at their intersections with southbound US 183 for approximately 12 months for utility and drainage work as well as general purpose lane reconstruction. Traffic will follow the signed detours.
• SPRING/SUMMER: The Montopolis Drive exit from the US 183 southbound mainlanes will be closed for several months. Drivers wishing to access the Montopolis Drive exit from southbound US 183 will exit at Bolm Road and follow the signed detour.
• MID-LATE 2017: One of the two left turn lanes from southbound US 183 onto Loyola Lane will be closed and Loyola Lane will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Later in 2017, the Loyola Lane crossing will be closed entirely at US 183 for several months as the contractor builds the new general purpose lanes and constructs a bridge over the future 183 Expressway at this location. More information about these closures will be forthcoming as plans are finalized. 

About 183 South | The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is building a new tolled expressway with three lanes in each direction on an eight-mile section of US 183 between US 290 and SH 71. In addition, the Mobility Authority will be reconstructing and improving the non-tolled US 183 general purpose lanes and adding $25 million worth of pedestrian and bicyclist facilities. The project will open in phases between 2019 and 2020, offering greater mobility for all users of the corridor.