A potential revamp is in the works to revitalize a bustling corridor in Central Texas, home to one of the most congested roadway segments in all of the Lone Star State. The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is weighing potential improvements to U.S. Hwy. 290 to ease gridlock and enhance safety within the Austin metro area.
CTRMA’s 290 Extension Project is a proposal to address U.S. Hwy. 290 between SH 130 in Travis County and SH 95 South in Bastrop County, with the highway segment linking the Austin suburbs of Manor and Elgin. Currently, the 15-mile corridor is designed as a divided highway featuring two lanes in each direction.
The preliminary proposal outlines adding tolled mainlanes and non-tolled general-purpose lanes to the roadway configuration, as well as new signals for cross-street intersections. Alongside the potential roadway changes, CTRMA officials are weighing pedestrian and bike infrastructure upgrades to help with multi-modal accessibility.
The road segment’s current congestion levels can add an estimated 17 minutes to a trip along U.S. Hwy. 290 for commuters, with CTRMA flagging that as a point of concern for the growing Texas capital area.
“As the population in the fast-growing Austin metro area continues to increase, these delays with only get worse,” the project’s fact sheet read in part.
CTRMA is soliciting public feedback on the project proposal online through Friday, October 10. Right now, the mobility authority is in the listening session stage of project development, with preliminary project designs expected in early 2026 ahead of a mid-to-late 2026 open house. Come mid-2027, the proposal is expected to issue a draft environmental document ahead of a public hearing, with a final decision and environmental decision on the project earmarked for early 2028.