Progress on 183 North Mobility Project Construction

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- With just two weeks left until Austin Independent School District heads back to school, KXAN Traffic Anchor Erica Brennes is taking a closer look at the construction projects that have ramped up over the summer that will be impacting your commute.

Brennes sat down with Mike Sexton, the Director of Engineering for the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, for an update on the 183 North Project in North Austin.

Brennes: "Joining me today is Mike Sexton. He is an engineer with the Central Texas regional mobility authority overseeing the 183 North Project. Mike, let us know what's going on with the 183 North Project."

Sexton: "Right now, this is one of those big projects for the region, helping move people from central Austin out towards the Cedar Park Leander area."

Brennes: "For anyone not familiar with this part of north Austin, northwest Austin, fill us in on why these added lanes, these improvements to the structure of 183 is important for that part of town."

Sexton: "That area has seen explosive growth over the last 30 years. If anyone remembers back in the early 1990s, Cedar Park, Leander were communities of about 5,000 people and today they are between 60 and 80,000 each. And that growth has led to about 190,000 cars a day on this section of roadway. And as everyone knows, it's very congested, it's congested all day long."

Brennes: "It's one express lane in each direction, or two, or what's the deal?"

Sexton: "So this is two express lanes in each direction. From SH 45 down to MoPac, there'll be a direct connector from the express lane on Hwy 183 directly to the MoPac express lane, so people leaving from central Austin will be able to get on the express lane and basically run the express lane toll lane all the way through to the Lakeline Mall area."

Brennes: "Overall, how's the project going?"

Sexton: "The project is going pretty good. This summer has been a big uptick in work. Obviously, it's been hot, it's dry, it's perfect contractor weather for them to get out there and get ahead. They're at about 190 employees now, they started the year closer to 100. So they've been adding a lot of people and progressing the work."

Construction kicked off in 2021 and should wrap up in early 2026.