By Michelle Stecker

Contributing Writer

Construction for long-awaited synchronization of traffic lights from MoPac west to Loop 360 has been under way for a couple of weeks and will be completed by early summer, said John Hurt, public information officer with the Texas Department of Transportation.

Hurt said that most of the construction involves tunneling under roadways that intersect with Bee Cave Road and digging beneath more than 50 driveways on the stretch of Bee Cave Road from MoPac westward to Loop 360 to lay the necessary electric conduits. The narrow shoulders on Bee Cave Road require that the outside lane be closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily until this project is completed.

Orange-and-white cones and barrels line the north side of Bee Cave Road from McConnell Drive to Red Bud Trail.

West Lake Hills Mayor Dave Claunch said he is pleased to see TxDOT taking steps to synchronize the traffic signals.

“We were hoping that they could use a wireless system, but it appears that the distances and topography wouldn’t allow that, so they have to bury a cable along the edge of the road,” Claunch said. “Although it won’t help improve traffic flow and safety as much as a center turn lane would, every little bit helps.”

Meanwhile, Claunch said is awaiting confirmation from the TxDOT signalization officials about the possibility of changing the timing of the left-turn signal on Bee Cave Road at The Village at Westlake shopping center.

“Westbound drivers wait forever to turn left at that light, and we have been told that TxDOT is going to change that signal to allow permissive left-turns-on green,” Claunch said.

As for the stalled Bee Cave Rood improvements project, Claunch said he still has received no word on the funding for the center turn lane.

“I think we should hear more in the next few months about whether or not they’re going to be able to use maintenance funds to upgrade the intersection at Redbud Trail,” he said. “But the timeline is probably more like a year on the rest of the roadway.”