The joint venture partners, Balfour Beatty and Fluor Corporation, recently broke ground on Texas state’s Oak Hill Parkway infrastructure project in Austin. This project was awarded to Balfour Beatty a while ago, by the Texas Department of Transportation for the reconstruction and expansion of upto seven miles of the US 290 and State Highway (SH) 71 in Travis County, and the roadway will be expanded from two to three main lanes to ease up traffic in each direction.
The Oak Hill Parkway project also covers the building of an overhead bridge over William Cannon Drive along with directly connected flyovers located between U.S. 290 and State Highway 71. This major upgrade will ensure ease of commuting in the long term, safety and also minimize traffic congestion in one of the most saturated roadways in Texas state. In addition, the construction will include new bicycle and pedestrian pathways stretching over 15 miles, cross-street improvements, U-turn lanes cross-street intersection, 22.5km of mixed-use path, corridor aesthetics, landscaping and tree plantings.
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According to Fluor, the Oak Hill Parkway project will provide an easily accessible route which is essential for commuters traversing the coverage areas which include Bee Cave, Lakeway, Oak Hill, Dripping Springs as well as other communities west of Austin. Construction work on the project is scheduled for completion in late 2025.
John Rempe, the regional manager of Balfour Beatty’s Southwest civils operations said, “We are excited to officially start construction on the Oak Hill Parkway project with our partners.” He added, “In our long-standing relationship with Fluor and TxDOT, we have been involved in more than $3 billion of critical and transformational transportation projects in the state of Texas. We are eager to build on our more than 20-year partnership with both entities in the delivery of another successful design-build project for the Austin community.”
The Fluor Urban Solutions business group president also gave more insights on the project and explained that after completion, the widened corridor would improve the mobility, operating efficiency and safety of commuters by reducing gridlock in the area, which will also enable emergency vehicles to function efficiently and respond to accidents quickly.