Wondering what’s behind recent lane changes or detours? Several road and pedestrian projects across Southwest Austin are reshaping local traffic and enhancing safety for all road users. Transportation updates from the city of Austin and Texas Department of Transportation indicate several changes across Southwest Austin.

Ongoing: I-35 Capital Express South
Plans for the stretch of highway include adding two high-occupancy-vehicle, or HOV, lanes in each direction between Hwy. 71 and SH 45 Southeast. The project will also include a southbound I-35 bypass lane that will allow traffic to bypass Stassney Lane and William Cannon Drive. According to a December update from TxDOT, crews have completed 61 of the needed 98 columns to support the planned elevated managed lanes. 

Slaughter Lane: Work includes widening the roadway from four to six lanes, adding shared-use paths, signal upgrades and landscaping enhancements. Spanning FM 1826 to Old Lockhart Road, the project is aimed at increasing safety for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as increasing mobility. The most recent phase of work kicked off this past summer.

Licensed esthetician Capri Jentsch recently moved Capri Microblades into its newest home in Dripping Springs.

The details: Jentsch is now offering permanent makeup and paramedical tattooing off Old Fitzhugh Road near downtown Dripping Springs. Before the recent move, Capri Microblades operated out of Blushing Belle at 14101 W. Hwy. 290, Austin.

At a glance: Capri Microblades offers a variety of services including lip blushing, permanent eyebrows and more.

• 251 Old Fitzhugh Road, Dripping Springs

Central Texas dentists have been feeling the effects of a nationwide shortage of dental hygienists, facing difficulties filling vacant positions to serve a growing number of patients

Zooming out: A 2019 study by the Texas Department of State Health Services projected that the demand for dental hygienists would outpace supply from 2018 to 2030. In Central Texas, the shortage of dental hygienists was projected to increase by 116.4% from 2018 to 2030, according to the report.

What they're saying: “As the population increases, new patients are coming into practices in Austin,” said Dr. Shailee Gupta, local dentist and member of Capital Area Dental Society. “Without the proper number of hygienists to go with these practices or community centers, there's no way to be able to meet that demand.”

The approach: To help counteract this shortage, Austin Community College opened an expanded dental hygiene clinic at its Eastview Campus this fall, nearly doubling the program’s annual cohort of students from 18 to 34. 

With the new year beginning and resolutions underway, individuals may look into body contouring procedures to feel more confident in their bodies, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Sanjay K. Sharma said. 

Affiliated with Ascension Medical Group, the University of Texas Dell Medical School and the University of Texas Medical Branch, Sharma said these procedures are common in the Austin area due to the community’s culture of being outdoors and trying to stay healthy. He spoke with Community Impact about how body contouring works, ideal candidates and tips for community members to know when looking for a provider. 

What is body contouring?
Body contouring is a broad-based category in plastic surgery. Any part of the body can be contoured. It can be from areas that are sort of stubborn fat deposits. Patients sometimes want to know how they can get rid of isolated pockets around the abdomen, legs, thighs or arms.

Hundreds of Texas private schools have been approved to participate in the state’s new education savings account program, per a map released by the state comptroller in early January.

The overview: As of press time, 775 private schools and prekindergarten providers had been approved to accept education savings accounts, or ESAs. There are over 1,300 accredited private schools in the state, according to the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission. 

Of the approved schools, there are:

• 233 schools in the Houston area
• 195 schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
• 94 schools in the San Antonio area
• 70 schools in the Austin area