A $677 million plan to update a key portion of a busy Central Texas intersection has come to fruition.
Texas Department of Transportation officials, as well as local and state leaders, recently celebrated the completion of the Oak Hill Parkway project in the Austin area. The project reconstructed the US 290/SH 71 interchange, replacing the former Y-configuration with a more efficient single-point urban interchange.
Crews also built flyovers between the major highways, added nonstop mainlanes through the US 290 corridor and improved bike and pedestrian accommodations, including 14 miles of shared-use paths and 1.5 miles of sidewalks.
Other upgrades include:
- An overpass for the US 290 mainlanes over William Cannon Drive
- New intersections along US 290 at Convict Hill Road, RM 1826, Scenic Brook Drive and Circle Drive (South View Road)
- U-turns at intersections along US 290 and SH 71
The upgrades are designed to improve traffic flow on one of the area’s most congested roadways, improve regional connectivity and improve safety.
The contract was awarded to Colorado River Constructors, a joint venture of Fluor and Balfour Beatty, in 2020. Construction began in 2021.
Plans for improving the intersection of U.S. 290 and SH 71 in the Oak Hill community have been in the works for more than 30 years, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The area reached its congestion capacity in 1995, and traffic has continued to grow. TxDOT says the roadway has deteriorated and needed upgrading and expansion to handle current and future traffic.
Powered byThe Oak Hill Parkway project falls under TxDOT’s Clear Lanes initiative and won the National Association of Environmental Professionals 2026 Environmental Excellent Award for Public Involvement and Education.
