Residents continue to oppose a possible road expansion to the east of WilCo

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas – Williamson County has been working on a highway plan to connect I-35 to more eastern parts of the county.

Called Arterial K, formerly Corridor K, it would extend CR 150 to the future Eastern Wilco Highway, running north to south from Walburg.

In May, the district proposed a draft to residents, but it was rejected.

RELATED: The potential Corridor K could cut through farmland to the east of WilCo

A group called Preserve Wilco Now formed to fight the plan. Ideally, their goal is to eliminate any new major road projects in this area.

After sharing its concerns with FOX 7 Austin, the county recently created another Route Plan B, but it introduced a whole new set of problems.

On Thursday, residents near that second route took FOX 7 Austin to Opossum Creek. The district is looking for land there for its project.

“I love listening to the water,” said Kimberly Keller, a nearby resident.

The area is still largely untouched by the growth of the district. Tiny frogs and tadpoles swim playfully over the banks of the stream.

“My son taught me how to catch these,” Keller said, holding up a frog.

But the stream also has a special place in the hearts of surrounding homeowners for another reason.

“I have twins who were walking up and down the river with fishing rods,” said Mary Gaddy, a nearby resident.

Last year, Gaddy suddenly lost one of her boys when she was just 22 years old.

“We can’t make new memories with him here,” Gaddy said. “We only have what we have and we would hate to see them all destroyed.”

That’s why she joined the Wilco Greenbelt Alliance, a group that is calling on the county to reconsider a major three-way road project to connect eastern and western Williamson County at I-35.

“This is the first place, or very close to it – right in front of us here is the first place that the bridge will hit,” Keller said.

It stands at one of the places where the project could intersect.

“This has an impact on the green belt,” said Keller. “This impacts a larger portion of our ecosystem, and who is going to advocate for them?”

So they came up with another plan.

“We’re asking the commissioners to make a little loop to avoid the other neighbors,” Gaddy said. “We don’t want to impact them and avoid that green belt and they can put it back all the way to Plan B… Nobody wants that road going through the area but in the name of progress it has to come. “We just don’t want it destroyed the green belt.”

They ask to be heard before all the noise of growth drowns out their stream and their voices.

“I stand here hoping that I can convince you of this and that I can convince other people to pay attention,” Keller said.

There is no funding currently available for this road project and will not receive funding until major development occurs.

The county just wants to get it aligned so it’s ready when growth happens in that direction.

The county and Commissioner Russ Boles sent the following statement to FOX 7 Austin:

“Williamson County is conducting a right-of-way conservation study for the proposed Arterial K road improvement project, part of Williamson County’s Long Range Transportation Plan adopted in 2009. Maintaining the right-of-way allows for future construction of a road that may need to be staggered as needed due to growth to ensure safety, connectivity and mobility.

The County is responsible for the safety and mobility of all residents, and this right-of-way preservation study is intended solely to plan for future growth in the area. This major arterial will be planned as a local road, utilizing the existing portions of CR 150 and CR 329 to provide future east-west connectivity as growth occurs in this area of ​​the county. Road planning is one of the few tools the county can use to manage the county’s unprecedented growth.

The county continues to study the potential impacts of the proposed road alignment on the environment, wildlife and water quality. Commissioner Boles continues to meet with property owners in person to determine a possible alignment and address individual property owners’ concerns regarding this future road.

The currently proposed route is still in the design stage and will continue to be adjusted and revised as the right-of-way maintenance study continues. As a future planned local road, this road will be built in phases based on growth in the area and the county has not allocated funds for the road’s construction.

When the study is completed, the right of way will be approved by the Williamson County Commissioners Court and the study will be archived for future reference. The county will use the plan to work with real estate developers to ensure future transportation needs can be maintained.”