Last night, I attended the TXDot open houseat O'Henry Middle School to look over the plans for proposed toll lanes that would widen Mopac Expressway through West Austin. The toll lanes would run from Lady Bird Lake to Parmer Ln and essentially allow a fourth, limited access lane for the highway in each direction. I had several conversations with engineers and sound experts who say the plan is not final but is the best concept so far for relieving congestion in Austin. The entrance/exit points for the Mopac toll lanes are at the 5th/6th street area, 2222 and Parmer Ln.
The plans call for actually widening the roadway outside of its current boundary from about Enfield Rd. to Lady Bird Lake. They are talking about moving the highway over about 35 feet at that point. Most of what happens elsewhere, will be in the center of the highway and accomplished with restriping, although it seems to me that they still will have to expand the asphalt ribbon wider everywhere. They are proposing the wider Mopac near Enfield in order to accommodate flyovers to move people out of the toll lane and into downtown on the 1st/5th st ramp. I was told those Mopac flyovers would be minimum 16.5' high, and going southbound, a toll lane occupant would be able to merge with other southbound traffic or flyover southbound traffic and merge onto the 1st/5th ramp before it splits under Mopac. They are proposing to restripe and narrow lanes over Lady Bird Lake southbound to add another lane there so traffic doesn't bottleneck (their thinking, not mine). Northbound the flyovers are to get people from 6th or 1st(Ceasar Chavez) over existing Mopac lanes and then into the toll lane into the center.
In speaking with the noise mitigation specialist, she told me that sound walls are mandatory for a project like this so the only question is how high and where to exactly place them. She also told me the new surface they just laid over the roadway is designed to lower sound 5-9 decibels. Anything under 5 is really not discernable to the human ear but her task is to find every way to lower the sound coming from the the highway.
Obviously what happens to Mopac in Austin can have an effect on property values up and down the corridor, and potentially much farther if home buyers determine that their commute is easier due to an expanded highway that cuts commute time. For people like me, who live in West Austin within hundreds of yards of Mopac, we are concerned about sound and the impact on our neighborhoods. Most Mopac users are just passing through on their way somewhere else, yet those of us who live close, are impacted by others wants and needs to live and work farther out. It might be wise to examine other forms of transportation like rail or rapid bus lanes instead of just continuing to build freeways and promoting urban sprawl.
Check out www.mopacexpress.com to learn more. This plan is not set in stone and subject to change. Public input is encouraged. Mobility is a key issue that obviously effects real estate valuesin the city and the suburbs. Let TXDot hear from you.
jeff@trueaustinhomes.com
Jeff Harris
Mortgage & Real Estate Broker
