ATX-LTW: Impact 10/10/2025

The Texas Department of Transportation’s RM 620 widening project has been delayed, with construction now set to begin as early as 2030, according to department representatives.

The overview: The project is estimated to cost $250 million, fully funded by TxDOT, and will see roadways between Hwy. 71 and Hudson Bend Road widened to six lanes, with new medians. Shared-use paths will also be constructed for bikers and pedestrians along the corridor.

The details: The first open house meeting for RM 620’s widening, in which TxDOT introduced Lakeway residents to the project, was held in 2018, at which point construction was expected to start in 2022, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.

That start date has now been delayed by at least 8 years, to 2030 or later, a TxDOT representative said Oct. 9.

Travis County commissioners approved an additional $21 million in contracts Oct. 7 to expand child care under the newly rebranded Raising Travis County initiative, bringing total funding to $55 million less than a year after voters approved a countywide tax increase for affordable child care.

The big picture: The program aims to increase early childhood, after-school, and nontraditional-hours child care, while covering gaps in state subsidy programs, supporting thousands of local children. The funding is distributed through Workforce Solutions Capital Area, which will manage child care scholarships for families and gap funding for providers. These partnerships are intended to expand capacity quickly and reduce long wait times. 

Of note: The initiative represents one of the fastest child care expansions in the nation, according to county staff. Funding is expected to roll out this fall for providers and early next year for families, increasing access to affordable child care across Travis County.
The funding will supports around 4,099 children in various programs across the county.

Texas’ power grid is unlikely to have issues this December, according to an Oct. 3 report by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

The details: During the winter, demand for electricity spikes when people get up in the morning and return home in the evening. This December, the tightest period is expected to be from 7-8 a.m. each day, when little to no solar power is being produced. ERCOT found that there will be a 1.81% chance of a grid emergency during that time.

“Under typical grid conditions, the deterministic scenario indicates that there should be sufficient generating capacity available," the report reads.

The background: Texas' grid withstood three cold snaps early this year. ERCOT last asked residents to voluntarily reduce their energy use in January 2024.

Legislative approach: State lawmakers approved legislation this spring that is designed to make the grid more reliable by tightening regulations on large electric consumers, such as data centers. In extreme grid conditions, those customers will be required to switch to backup power to reduce strain on the grid.