WilCo adjusts controversial transportation plan

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas - This week, Williamson County Commissioners approved a change to a controversial transportation plan.

It's called Arterial K, formerly Corridor K, and it would connect I-35 at SH 195 to East Wilco Highway, just south of Walburg.

FOX 7 Austin previously reported on two other alignments for Arterial K that some nearby residents were unhappy about.

• Residents continue to fight back against potential roadway expansion in eastern WilCo
• Potential Corridor K could cut through farmland in east WilCo

"They were able to come up with an alignment that was some of the things that our residents have been asking for but also, as I said, kept to the best engineering practices," said Connie Odom, the spokesperson for Williamson County.

The new and approved alignment for Arterial K is drawn out in green. The red line weaving it is the former plan.

"I would say that it definitely is a compromise that followed things that we could do and following best general engineering practices," said Odom.

There's no construction funding for it yet, and it’s part of the county’s long-range transportation plan.

"It is just a line on the map so that as development occurs we have continuity of the roadway system across the county, and developers know what to expect when they want to develop a property," said Odom.

The earlier drafts received push back from nearby residents, like Mary Gaddy.

"We happen to be in my yard, but the greenbelt is right back here," said Gaddy, as she pointed to an area of concern for her. "You can see all the trees over there."

She’s part of the WilCo Greenbelt Alliance.

In November, she and Kimberly Keller, her neighbor, took FOX 7 Austin to Opossum Creek.

"I'm glad that they pulled it out of this greenbelt right here because it would have destroyed all these trees," said Gaddy. "They did end up pulling it right where we stood last time."

That’s still a concern for Keller.

"In a small act of placation they moved it a little bit, but not enough," said Keller. "It still impacts our Opossum Creek, and that is a community staple to our neighborhood and to our land."

Along with many concerns, Odom added that commissioners considered ecological impacts, too.

"What are the special features that are on their land, what are some things that we need to look for, what are the environmental factors, so there’s a lot that goes into choosing a final alignment, or preferred alignment for a project, so I would say it played a big part in what this alignment is," said Odom.

Meanwhile, Angela Wetuski, who runs Preserve Wilco Now, the first group to form against the alignment, said the change is an improvement for her family.

"It is really difficult for property owners, more of them have it following property lines now, and so those of us right here, it does follow our property line," said Wetuski. "It’s less invasive in the sense that it’s not cutting us off from anything."

She says the original draft would have cut halfway through her land, but with this new map, some of her neighbors still drew the short end of the stick.

"There’s some people that it’s way worse for," said Wetuski. "I don’t know, I’m doing all I can to find out what we can do to stop it, like why is it necessary."

Odom said it would take development to build Arterial K out, and any funding for construction comes from the developer, not the county.

If needed, the developer could make small adjustments to the map.