Round Rock drivers on the west side have a new way to get around without fighting I-35 traffic. The Wyoming Springs Drive extension opened to the public on Thursday, giving commuters a four-lane divided roadway that connects Creek Bend Boulevard to East Old Settlers Boulevard, complete with a new crossing over Brushy Creek.
City and county officials marked the milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, according to Community Impact Newspaper. The new stretch gives Round Rock's west side a north-south alternative to I-35, easing some of the pressure on a corridor that regularly backs up during peak commuting hours.
Williamson County Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey said the road does more than just add pavement. She said it adds a creek crossing and helps spread out traffic, while also connecting to the regional trail system, per the same outlet's report.
The extension has been part of Round Rock’s Transportation Master Plan since 1999, but its design contract was not approved until 2019. The city says nearby creek crossings are limited, concentrating traffic on FM 3406, Sam Bass Road and RM 620; an earlier Creekbend Boulevard extension over Brushy Creek was completed in 2017. Wyoming Springs adds another crossing as part of a longer effort to improve west-side connections, not just a new shortcut around I-35. The city’s project history and stated purpose put the opening in that wider context.
Built With Bike Paths and Safety Upgrades Baked In
The extension isn't just for cars. It includes a shared-use path, sidewalks along both sides of the street, and connections to the Brushy Creek Regional Trail, giving walkers and cyclists a new route through the area. The roadway also crosses Hairy Man Road by bridge, and the project added driver safety improvements at that crossing, according to Community Impact's reporting on the city's contract updates for west-side road work.
The city of Round Rock managed construction of the project, which the station notes was extended by just over half a mile and carries four lanes end to end. The roadway is also part of the city's master transportation plan, a long-range framework shaping how the west side grows and moves traffic in the years ahead.
Five Years in the Making, Funded by City and County Dollars
Getting here took time. Construction on the roadway began in December 2024, after five years of planning and design work, the outlet reported. The $29.7 million project was funded through sales tax revenue, city-issued bonds and the Williamson County Road Bond program — a combination of city and county dollars that reflects the project's shared regional priority.
The investment comes as Williamson County continues to grow: its population reached an estimated 752,827 in July 2025, up 23.6% from the 2020 estimate base. The county’s road-bond program began in 2000 to finance major road construction and expansions, and voters approved another $825 million for safety and mobility projects in November 2023. Those figures help explain why road-building has become a regional priority, even as individual projects rely on a mix of funding sources. Census estimates show the county’s recent growth, while the county outlines its bond program.
City officials expect the new route to take pressure off some of the busiest streets nearby. The extension is expected to reduce traffic congestion on Old Settlers Boulevard, Sam Bass Road and Creek Bend Boulevard, according to the same source, as drivers who once had no choice but to use those roads now have another option.
Next Up: Pushing the Route Toward RM 1431
Thursday's opening isn't the end of the story. Round Rock Public Works Director Michael Thane said the city will likely begin work to extend Wyoming Springs Drive farther north to RM 1431, with the city of Round Rock and Williamson County partnering on that next phase. The city is currently securing land needed for that extension, per Thane's account.
The northward extension is a separate county project, planned from Wyoming Springs’ current terminus at Golden Oak Circle to RM 1431. Williamson County’s current schedule calls for final design to be completed in early 2027, construction to begin in summer 2027 and the road to be finished in early 2029. The proposed segment is also planned as a four-lane divided road, with a shared-use path on one side and a sidewalk on the other. The county’s project page lists the route, design and construction schedule.
Future phases are intended to build a continuous north-south route connecting RM 620 to RM 1431, according to Community Impact's earlier coverage of the project. Once fully built out, the Wyoming Springs network is expected to further alleviate traffic congestion on other roads across the west side, giving residents more options as the area continues to grow.
