Commissioner Precinct 1

PROJECT UPDATE O’Connor Drive Extension RM 620 to North of SH 45

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:03:00 GMT

Scheduled Completion Due: Spring, 2012

Work progress was slowed by the rain showers during December.

Work Completed in December:

Formed, placed reinforcing steel and poured all remaining bridge slabs, Spans 3 to 9
Poured concrete curb for the center median, approximately 40% complete
Placed conduit for the new signals at RM 620
Removed the existing traffic signals and installed new signals at the RM 620 intersection.

Note: The new signals are clear of all of the work to construct the O’Connor Drive Extension and the future RM 620 widening. Placed remaining flex base near RM 620 intersection, all flex base is in place from RM 620 to north of the bridge

Proposed Work Schedule for January :

Place forms and pour approach slabs at each end of bridge

Pour concrete railing on each side of the bridge

Excavate and embank material to final cross section south of the bridge

Begin construction of hazardous material traps (2 locations)

Note: The hazardous material traps are small concrete structures located in the ditches on each side of the creek. They are designed to catch the first ½ inch of runoff of a rain event and filter the runoff before it drains into Lake Creek. Providing filtration of any runoff before it drains into a creek is a requirement of the TCEQ.

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Invitation to Propane Station Ribbon Cutting

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:07:00 GMT

Williamson County will celebrate the opening of its new propane fueling station with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, January 5, at 10:30 a.m. The station is located at the J.B. & Hallie Jester Williamson County Annex behind the Sheriff's Office/EMS substation, 1781 E. Old Settlers Blvd., Round Rock, Texas.

Williamson County Commissioners Court Approves Funding for King of Kings Crossing

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:21:00 GMT

Williamson County Commissioners Court approved funding this week for a new roadway named King of Kings Crossing to connect Smyers Lane to the northeast edge of the HEB parking lot, which is located at O’Connor Drive and RR 620. The project will increase safety and mobility in that area by providing access to Smyers Lane and Wyoming Springs Drive.

PROJECT UPDATE O'Connor Drive Extension RM 620 to North of SH 45

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:42:00 GMT

Project: 11WC906
CSJ: 0914-05-139
Roadway: O’Connor Drive Extension
Progress for month of October, 2011
Time Charges Began: April 1, 2011
Scheduled Completion Due: Spring, 2012

Work Completed in October:

· Set concrete bridge beams on bent caps

· Placed precast bridge deck panels on beams

· Placed forms for cast in place portion of bridge slab

· Continue to place flex base for roadway

· Backfilled under bridge, placed rock for stabilization

Proposed Work Schedule for November :

· Complete placement of precast bridge deck panels on beams

· Complete formwork for cast in place portion of bridge slab

· Pour bridge slabs

· Place remaining flex base for roadway

· Continue to work on excavation and embankment

· Pour concrete curb for center median

· Remove existing traffic signals and place new signals

· Place conduit for new signals

General Notes:

Contractor is on schedule to complete project in Spring, 2012

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Project Update: O'Connor Drive Extension RM 620 to North SH 45

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:50:00 GMT

While our dry weather is bad for lawns, it has been good for road construction! Quite a bit of work has been completed on the O’Connor Drive Extension project, including completing construction of all bridge columns for the bridge at Lake Creek. We also have placed formwork for bridge bent caps on the completed columns as well as poured concrete for bridge abutments, and we have installed box culverts and pipe for cross drainage. Coming up, we will continue to form and pour concrete at the bridge abutments and work on excavation and embankment for the roadway.

Work began June 6 on improvements to the Great Oaks intersection north of RR 620. Currently, we have placed hot mix asphalt for the additional left turn lane, and formed and poured curb and gutter at Great Oaks for the new left turn lane. The work on Great Oaks is scheduled to be completed the week of July 6. Work will begin on the O’Connor roadway improvements north of RR 620 on July 9.

For questions, please contact the road bond hotline at 943-1195 or email roads@wilco.org.

Updates are posted online to http://oconnordrive.org/.

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Williamson County Road Resurfacing Project to Begin July 5

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:34:00 GMT

On Tuesday, July 5, Williamson County’s Department of Infrastructure will begin the initial resurfacing of many of the subdivision roads in the unincorporated areas of the county south of FM 1431. Roadwork will begin in the following subdivisions:

Spanish Oak Terrace, Sweet Farms, Brushy Creek North, Tonkawa Village, Great Oaks,
Oak Brook, Fern Bluff, Hillside at Brushy Creek, Stone Canyon, Brushy Creek, Brushy Creek
Village, Cat Hollow, Meadows of Brushy Creek, Woods of Brushy Creek and the Estates of
Brushy Creek.

Substantial completion is anticipated by mid to late July. Resurfacing operations will then begin in the Fern Bluff and Brushy Creek MUDs and continue through mid-August. Please note that all vehicles, including those parked along the curb, must be moved off the street during the resurfacing process.

To maintain a continuous flow of information to its residents, Williamson County has established a web page and a hotline for tracking progress on the project. Door hangers will be placed on the front doors of all residences in the affected areas several days before the work will begin.

Williamson County is responsible for maintaining approximately 1,700 miles of county roads spread over an area of 1,124 square miles. Preparation for an extensive resurfacing project began late last winter and has continued throughout the spring to include repairs to cracks and potholes in the roads. The next step in the preventive maintenance process is to resurface the roads. When applied properly and at the right time, this treatment can increase the life of asphalt by years.

For more detailed information including the projected resurfacing schedule and outlined maintenance process, please visit www.wilco.org/resurfacing or call 512-943-3393.

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Repairs to Harry Man Road/CR 174 Bridge

Wed, 18 May 2011 21:54:48 GMT

WILLIAMSON COUNTY COMMISSIONER
LISA BIRKMAN

REPAIRS TO HAIRY MAN ROAD/CR 174 BRIDGE
Cause Lane Closures and Intermittent Bridge Closures
April 29, 2011 (Williamson County, TX) – Williamson County has awarded a contract to Patin Construction to repair the guardrail on the Hairy Man Road/CR 174 Bridge over Brushy Creek near Round Rock. As part of this repair effort, a temporary concrete barrier will be installed to protect both motorists and construction personnel. Beginning on Monday, May 9th, each morning after 8:30 a.m., the temporary barrier will be positioned on the bridge in order to allow room for construction activities and also one lane of traffic to cross the bridge. While positioning the concrete barrier, the bridge will need to be closed intermittently for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Once the barrier is set, traffic will cross the bridge in an alternating pattern. Eastbound traffic will be stopped to allow the westbound traffic to cross the bridge safely, and vice versa. At the end of each day, approximately 3:30 p.m., the barrier will be repositioned to the sides of the bridge, using intermittent closures, to again allow both directions of travel across the bridge. Also, traffic will be in one direction only with one lane closed with flag persons directing vehicles during working hours while construction is completed. Work will primarily be done on weekdays between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Construction is expected to begin May 9th and continue for approximately 30 days.
If possible, motorists are asked to please avoid using Hairy Man Road/CR 174 between Great Oaks Drive and Sam Bass Road during the time of construction.
For questions or more information, please contact:
Terron Evertson at the Williamson County Dept. of Infrastructure, 943-3330 or tevertson@wilco.org

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Dino Day Debuts QR Code Project

Wed, 18 May 2011 21:54:31 GMT

At Dino Day Tammy Smith, Commissioner Birkman and Mary Clark (L-R) show off a sample of the cool new QR (quick response) code that smart phone applications can "read' to link to all kinds of information & multimedia. These links can provide information about plants, animals, geology, geography, history, and more along the Brushy Creek Regional Trail & other County parks. Dino day is held annually at Champion Park in early May.

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ESD Funding Aids Fire Department

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 20:09:25 GMT

ESD FUNDING AIDS FIRE DEPARTMENT

The Round Rock Fire Department recently added a new rescue unit to its fleet. The acquisition of the $102,000.00 unit was made possible, in part, because of funding received from the Emergency Services District Number Nine. Emergency Services Districts (ESD’s) are political subdivisions of the State of Texas, which support or provide local emergency services, including emergency medical services, emergency ambulance services, rural fire prevention and control services, and other emergency services authorized by the Texas Legislature. ESD's may impose a sales tax, use tax and/or property tax to support or provide these services. ESD Number Nine encompasses much of Round Rock including neighborhoods such as Teravista and Forest Creek.

Traditional vehicles like fire engines and tankers are designed to assist in fighting fire by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire along with water. The rescue unit is unique in that first responders can use it to transport specialized equipment and carry out technical rescues of individuals involved in traffic collisions or structural collapses.

“I am proud of the fact that we are able to work with government officials and EMS personnel to improve the vital emergency services that the citizens of Round Rock depend upon,” states ESD Commissioner, Tommy L. Coleman.

According to interim Fire Chief Billy Wusterhausen, “The funds obtained through the Emergency Service District allow us to purchase equipment that we use when we respond in the district on a variety of emergencies. ESD funding also has helped in purchasing a tanker truck that supports the engine and newly purchased brush truck we use to respond to fires and rescue calls in a large portion of the district.”

Photo left to right: Incoming Chief David Coatney, Interim Chief Billy Wusterhausen, Precinct One Commissioner, Lisa Birkman, ESD Commissioners, Mike Garcia, Alan Forster, Tommy L. Coleman, Jeremy Van Delinder, Karen Dittman, along with Firefighters, David Kieschnick, Steven Puckett, Ben Liner, Kelly Loessin and James Faske

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O'Connor Drice Extension Project Groundbreaking

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:55:06 GMT

Williamson County, with the assistance of State Rep. Larry Gonzales and State Rep. Charles Schwertner, is celebrated the groundbreaking of the O'Connor Drive extension project. The improvements to O'Connor Drive will involve 3 phases: the extension of O'Connor Drive from RM 620 to just north of SH 45, intersections improvements at Great Oaks Drive and O'Connor Drive at RM 620, and an interchange with free frontage roads at SH 45 and 0'Connor Drive. The county is primarily funding the first two phases and the Texas Department of Transporation is primarily funding the last phase. The TXDoT phase is set to begin later this year. The project will improve safety for residents, businesses, several nearby schools and Round Rock Hospital, relieve congestion on RM 620 plus improve accessibilty and overall traffic operation in this densely populated area of the county. The county's portion of the funds are from voter approved bonds. Due to large scope of the project, it is expected that completion of all phases will occur in late 2013 or early 2014.

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