AUSTIN, Texas – After more than 30 years of planning, the Oak Hill Parkway appears to be on its way to construction.
- Oak Hill Parkway to be 12 lanes, none tolled
- Project expected to be complete by 2025
- Opponents concerned about environmental impacts
Members of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, or CAMPO, unanimously approved funding the highway project this week. It aims to solve the bottleneck that is the Y at Oak Hill in Southwest Austin.
"The only way that you can really get continuous flow is you have got to separate the lanes," said Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, R-Precinct 3.
Opponents thought the project, which they estimate will surpass $500 million once complete, was all but dead last year when Gov. Greg Abbott took a hard stance against toll roads. The state kicked in more money to make the project happen.
Critics say the project should've been scaled down since toll lanes are off the table.
"Induced development from more highway construction is a big concern for Save Our Springs [Alliance]," said Kelly Davis, a staff attorney for the nonprofit that focuses on protecting Barton Springs. "As those communities grow and create more impervious cover, that can pollute the aquifer."
Environmental groups and some neighbors remained concerned about the number of trees slated for removal. Davis said almost 300 trees with a trunk diameter of at least 10 inches will be removed. That's a chief concern for Carol Cespedes, who has lived in Oak Hill since 1994.
"We wanted something that would recognize the integrity of this area," she said. "We thought [the project] was dead in 1987," said Cespedes.
For a look at the parkway's latest design from TxDOT, click here.
