East WilCo Highway Project aims to keep pace with growth

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas – The Williamson County Commission approved $25 million in funding for the East WilCo Highway Project. 

The funds come from a road bond that voters passed in 2023. 

The backstory:

The project consists of three segments, two of which are already open. 

The remaining segment is expected to be complete by 2028, connecting the roads between Taylor and Hutto with a new three-lane roadway. 

The roadway will have single-lane traffic in each direction and a center lane for turning. 

“We are just really looking forward to the opportunity to get that road open, and we can really start moving,” said Williamson County Commissioner Russ Boles. “The citizens are going to be able to get to where they need to get just a little bit easier, a little more predictable time.”

Boles says the project has been in the works since 2019 and aims to address the area’s rapid growth. 

He said staying ahead of future growth allows residents to have a safer, more efficient commute sooner, and in the long run it’s also cheaper. 

“One of the things that Williamson County has learned from watching our neighbors to the south, is if we get behind in road construction, as the growth comes, the road projects become more expensive, and they become harder to get completed,” said Boles. 

Dig deeper:

Williamson County is one of the fastest growing counties in Texas. Figures from the U.S. Census Bureau project that the population of the county will more than double by 2025. 

Boles says factors like increased development, jobs and relative affordability are driving that growth, and he doesn’t expect things to slow down anytime soon. 

“If I was going to describe Williamson County in one word, it would be opportunity, and we have it here in spades, and there’s a role that the county needs to do to be part of that, and we’re working hard to keep up our end of the deal,” said Boles. “The East Wilco highway is one of those things.”

Why you should care:

While construction on the current segment is underway, Boles says traffic impacts for residents should be minimal as much of the work is being done on new roads rather than existing ones.