Work is now underway on an important highway project in Texas – image courtesy of © Jason Kolenda, Dreamstime.com
A joint venture comprising Balfour Beatty and Fluor Corporation is now carrying out work on the Oak Hill Parkway infrastructure project in Austin, Texas. The design-build project was awarded to the partners in April 2020 by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The work involves reconstructing and widening an 11km stretch of the US 290 and State Highway (SH) 71 in Travis County. This will improve safety and reduce traffic in one of the most congested roadways in Texas.
As part of the joint venture, the team will design and construct an upgraded interstate highway along US highway 290 from the east end of Circle Drive to Loop 1 (MoPac Expressway) and SH 71 from US 290 to Silvermine Drive. The project will consist of widening the main lanes from two to three as well as adding two to three frontage-road lanes in each direction. An overpass for the US 290 main lanes over William Cannon Drive will also be delivered, along with full reconstruction of the US 290/SH 71 “Y” interchange to include two direct-connect flyovers between US 290 and SH 71.
Additional project components include 24km of new bicycle and pedestrian accommodations along the entire corridor, cross-street intersection improvements, U-turn lanes, landscaping and tree plantings, corridor aesthetics, as well as upstream storm water detention and water quality treatment ponds.
“We are excited to officially start construction on the Oak Hill Parkway project with our partners,” said John Rempe, PE, regional manager of Balfour Beatty’s Southwest civils operations. “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.”
Balfour Beatty has worked with TxDOT and Fluor for more than two decades on the design and construction of five infrastructure projects across the state, including current work with its partners on the delivery of the Southern Gateway and I-635 LBJ East projects in Dallas.
Construction is underway for the Oak Hill Parkway project with an expected completion scheduled for 2025.
