Read about three transportation project updates for the Southwest Austin and Dripping Springs areas.

Upcoming projects

Old Fitzhugh Road improvements

Project: The city of Dripping Springs is aiming to beautify Old Fitzhugh Road while improving traffic flow, pedestrian access and connectivity. The Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Board approved the project as a priority in spring 2017.

Update: The project was originally scheduled to break ground in August, but the city is waiting on further approval from TxDOT. 

Ongoing projects

I-35 Capital Express South Project

Project: TxDOT will add two high-occupancy-vehicle lanes, a southbound bypass lane and pedestrian and bicycle paths.

Update: Crews closed the Stassney Lane bridge at I-35 for several nights in September to work on elevated managed lanes.

Completed projects

Oak Hill Parkway

Project: TxDOT began reconstructing the 7-mile stretch of highway in 2021. Construction crews transformed the four-lane, undivided roadway into a six-lane divided highway with new frontage roads.

Update: The TxDOT team has reached substantial completion of the project.

A $5 million package of third-party consulting contracts was pulled from City Council consideration after the item drew scrutiny from some elected officials over its cost and lack of clarity.

What happened: It's the second time action on contracting with the same group of 17 consultants was withdrawn ahead of an authorization vote this year. Council member Mike Siegel, who'd asked for more oversight of both items, said the update was a positive for transparency and that he'll continue to monitor Austin's extensive consultant spending.

The background: The scrutiny follows the release of an internal audit that found city departments don't regularly justify the need for third-party support they seek, and often don't monitor or evaluate the work of their consultants. That reporting led council members to vote for a wide-ranging review of Austin's contracts and grants this spring, work that remains in progress.

For the first time in over 20 years, the Hays County Tax Office will be updating its property tax software to modernize the system. Taxpayers will not have access to the system until mid-October.

The gist: The county’s transition to a new property tax system aims to improve the Tax Office’s efficiency and operations. Staff will have access to updated technology, making it easier to serve community members, according to a Hays County news release.

The current property tax system will be unavailable from Sept. 21 to Oct. 13 to complete the transition to the new software. Services that will be unavailable during this time include:

• Online property tax payments

• Property tax account lookups and balance information

• Payment history and tax statement requests

• Other services requiring access to property tax account records

Residents can pay their property tax by cash or check in person at any Hays County Tax Office location or use a Tax Office drop box during this time, according to the release.

Across Texas, the taxes that homeowners pay to their local school districts went down by about 13.6% in 2025, one state senator found.

The overview: Across the board, many Texas counties mailed out reduced property tax bills for the 2025 tax year, Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, reported. During a Sept. 1 hearing of the Senate Local Government Committee, he said the average homeowner's property tax bill went down by about $140 last year, falling from $1,037 per year in 2024 to $896 per year in 2025.

Texas' 2026-27 budget includes $51 billion in property tax relief, previous Community Impact reporting shows. Unless the legislature rolls back existing tax exemptions, the state will be required to spend that much or more on tax relief in future bienniums.

How it works: The state does not charge property taxes, meaning homeowners are taxed by local entities such as school districts, cities, counties and municipal utility districts. The Texas Legislature, however, can place limits on how much local governments raise taxes annually and require tax exemptions for certain groups.

Find out more about candidates in the race for Texas Senate District 21.

What you need to know: Republican Julie Dahlberg and Democrat Judith Zaffirini, the incumbent, will appear on the ballot in the senate race.

The details: Candidates submitted the following responses to questions from Community Impact ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.