By Eleni Himaras, Staff Writer

Progress of construction on Bee Cave Road is much like the traffic often found there – it may not always seem like it’s moving, but it is.

For West Lake Hills, the main issue currently pending is making sure there is no gap in the center turn lane from Loop 360 to MoPac. In Rollingwood, they will soon be working with businesses to secure the right-of-ways necessary for Texas Department of Transportation funding.

“The funding has been approved and West Lake Hills has voted on their proposal to TxDOT in terms of how they want it to look and function,” said Transportation Commission member John   Barzizza. 

The only hitch in that plan is the fact that the approved sidewalk from Walsh Tarlton to Eanes Elementary School means there wasn’t enough money left in the project budget to complete the center turn lane, leaving about a half-mile gap. 

“They can’t complete the center turn lane because they allocated the money to sidewalks,” Barzizza said. “There are a lot of people that are not happy with that outcome. Sidewalks are good but safety is the reason this thing came about in the first place.”

Closing the gap would cost about $700,000-$1 million out of the entire $14 million project. City officials and the transportation commission are working with TxDOT to come up with the funding to complete the project.

“For my perspective, I think it’s highly necessary that we finish it right the first go around,” Barzizza said. 

As of now, the center turn lane will stretch to Old Stable Lane, instead of Surrey Hill Drive. Currently, there are no Bee Cave Road Committee meetings planned as Transportation Commission members hope TxDOT will solve the problem by allocating additional money. 

For their part, Rollingwood needs to get several rights of ways from local businesses before they can go to TxDOT or CAMPO for construction or funding. 

“From my standpoint as a member of the Rollingwood City Council is I feel like we’ve kind of lost our place in line as far as the funding is concerned and we need to get our efforts rejuvenated to get our place back in line as far as the funding is concerned and at the same time get back on track with getting the right-of-ways,” said Bill Hamilton.

He says that project has been put on the backburner in the summer months as the council has focused on their budget, but that he hopes to see some progress made in meeting with officials and businesses by the first of the year.

“It really needs to be kind of a joint community effort that transcends the boundaries of Rollingwood and West Lake Hills,” Hamilton said. “This is a broader community project.”