Officials at a ribbon cutting Friday to debut the East Wilco Highway segment between Taylor and Hutto are hailing the stretch as a vital connector for the county. Located near the Samsung Austin Semiconductor plant, the segment runs from CR 404 to U.S.
79, with a bridge stretching over 79 and the Union Pacific Railroad. When finished, the East Williamson County Highway will connect Texas 130 to Interstate 35 and creates a main thoroughfare for Precinct 4.
With a price tag of $80 million, the overall project is one of the most expensive infrastructure initiatives in Williamson County history, officials said.
“This bridge and where it intersects at 79 is going to be the center of east Williamson County for years to come,” said Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles during a Tuesday meeting of Williamson County Commissioners Court in Georgetown.
Work on the Taylor-Hutto segment ment began in 2022 with some of the funding for the project procured from road bonds in 2019.
Boles, whose precinct includes Taylor and Hutto, said the construction of the highway and bridge is monumental for the eastern portion of the county.
The East Wilco Highway is designed to achieve the same level of connectivity that Ronald Reagan Boulevard brings to the west side of Williamson County, planners said.
“It’s significant for the growth of the whole area out there in Hutto and Taylor … It’s a big deal,” Boles said.
East Wilco Highway is being built in eight segments, with the first segment from 130 to CR 137 opening in fall 2023.
Segment two, which will run from CR 137 south of Hutto to CR 404, has an expected completion date of summer 2028.
Segments 4-8, which will ultimately connect 79 to 35, have not been given completion dates.
Officials from Williamson County and the cities of Hutto and Taylor get ready to cut the ribbon on the northbound East Williamson County Highway bridge Friday afternoon. This project took three years to complete. Photo by Jason Chlapek
