Residents continue to resist potential road expansions in eastern WilCo.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX – Williamson County is working on a long-term transportation plan to outline connections from I-35 to more eastern parts of the county.

It’s called Arterial K, formerly Corridor K, and it will extend CR 150 to the future Eastern Wilco Highway running north to south from Walburg.

The county proposed the project to residents in May, but it was rejected.

CONNECTED: A potential Corridor K could pass through farmland in eastern WilCo.

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

After sharing their concerns with FOX 7 Austin, county officials recently came up with another plan for Route B, but it has created a whole new set of problems.

Residents in the area near Route 2 took FOX 7 Austin to Possum Creek on Thursday. This is where the county is looking at land for its project.

“I love hearing the water flow,” said Kimberly Keller, a nearby resident.

This area remains largely untouched by the county’s growth. Tiny frogs and tadpoles swim playfully along the banks of the stream.

“My son taught me how to catch them,” Keller said as she held the frog.

But the creek holds a special place in the hearts of nearby 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 won’t be able to create new memories with him here,” Gaddy said. “We only have the ones we have, and we wouldn’t want them all to be destroyed.”

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

“This is the first place that, or near us, is the first place that the bridge will go through,” Keller said.

It stands in one of the places where the project may intersect.

“It impacts the green belt,” Keller said. “This is affecting a large part of our ecological system, and who is going to speak up for them?”

So they came up with another plan.

“We’re asking the commissioners to make a little loop down to avoid other neighbors,” Gaddy said. “We don’t want to put pressure on them to avoid this green space and they could put it back to plan B… Nobody wants this road to go through this area, but in the name of progress it has to happen.” we just don’t want it to ruin the green belt.”

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

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

This road project doesn’t have funding right now and won’t get it until major construction begins.

The county just wants to get the alignment done so that if or when that kind of growth comes, it’s ready.

The County and Commissioner Russ Bowles sent the following statement to FOX 7 Austin:

“Williamson County is conducting a right-of-way preservation study for the proposed Artery K Road improvement project, which is part of the Williamson County Long Range Transportation Plan adopted in 2009. Maintaining the right-of-way will allow construction to continue. roadway that will be upgraded in stages as growth requires to ensure safety, connectivity and mobility.

The County is responsible for the safety and mobility of all residents, and this right-of-way conservation study is intended simply to plan for addressing future growth in the region. This highway is planned as a local road using existing sections of CR 150 and CR 329 to provide future east-west service as this part of the county grows. Road planning is one of the few tools the county can use to address the county’s unprecedented economic growth.

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

The current proposed alignment is still in draft form and will continue to be adjusted and revised as the right-of-way preservation study continues. As a future local road, the road will be built in phases based on area growth, and the county has not identified funding for the road.

Once 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 use. The County will use this plan to work with developers to ensure future transportation needs are maintained.”