Georgetown commuters, brace yourselves for smoother travels come early 2024 with the nearing completion of the Williams Drive Bridge overhaul featuring a spanking new diverging diamond interchange (DDI), as reported by Community Impact. This $61.7 million facelift for the busy Texas road is busting gridlock and redefining safety, courtesy of the Texas Department of Transportation and Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, who've dumped their wallets into the project.
Buckle up, because lane closures will be the norm while crews fuss over the finishing touches including drainage improvements and road restriping—so a heads up for northbound lane lovers aiming for an I-35 entrance, blocked off since this autumn, the grand reopening should sync with the construction wrap-up Brad Wheelis, TxDOT Communications Officer, piped up with what has to be the understatement of the year, "Once drivers go through the DDI a couple of times, they typically get the hang of it," because crossing into the left lane on a bridge ain't exactly standard freeway frolics.
Meanwhile, local bigwigs trumpeted the project's kickoff festivities, and the scoop via Patch paints a picture of a virtual shindig with state officials clinking glasses over the novel intersection design. Think less congestion and swifter routes, with some 138,000 vehicles set to glide effortlessly under the watchful eyes of bridge and bypass lanes taking shape.
So, here's the kicker the good folks driving along I-35 will finally taste the sweet freedom of reduced backups not to mention skyrocketing safety stats, it's not rocket science folks, a diverging diamond spells fewer smashups, and that's something TxDOT and Texas Transportation Commission Chairman J. Bruce Bugg, alongside U.S. Rep. John Carter and Mayor Dale Ross of Georgetown are hooting about "I can’t wait for the new, safer and quicker drive," Mayor Ross told Patch.
