Bastrop County is planning $4.5 million in projects that would add a new radio tower in the western portion of the county to replace handheld and in-car radios for the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Department.

County officials said the upgrades are needed to keep up with the growing population.

The details: The West Radio Tower project is outlined in Bastrop County’s newly adopted Capital Improvement Plan for fiscal years 2026-31.

The 300-foot radio tower would be built on a site—secured through a long-term lease agreement with Aqua Water Supply Corporation—behind Cedar Creek High School. It would support Bastrop County’s existing simulcast radio system, according to county documents.

Why it matters: “Due to the increase in population in the western part of the country, there needs to be expanded reliable coverage,” according to the CIP. “There have been multiple critical incidents in areas of Bastrop County that have not had radio coverage.”

The smell of smoked brisket is now a part of Bastrop shoppers’ weekly grocery run after True Texas BBQ opened inside H-E-B.

What's happening: The True Texas BBQ location, which smokes all-natural meats in-house over Texas oak wood, opened as part of an ongoing $30 million expansion in Bastrop—a project that kicked off in July 2023.

What else? H-E-B opened its first True Texas BBQ in 2014 and now operates more than 30 locations across the state. Diners can visit the Bastrop location from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to True Texas BBQ’s website.

• Opened Feb. 4
• 104 Hasler Blvd., Bastrop

A total of about 21.67 million passengers departed and arrived at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in 2025, marking the year as the third busiest for the airport.

The details: Passenger traffic marked 2024 as the airport’s second busiest year, following 2023 and 2022’s record-breaking totals.

The busiest airline for the airport was Southwest Airlines, with 8.9 million passengers, similar to 2024. Southwest Airlines officials recently announced plans to expand at ABIA, backed by a $5.5 million economic incentive deal between the airline and the city of Austin.

What else: The airport is currently undergoing a multiyear expansion program designed to upgrade facilities and increase capacity to address the record-breaking passenger traffic in recent years. The expansion program includes several projects, such as a new baggage handling system, facilities and passenger gates, various airfield upgrades, and the construction of new taxiways and a second terminal.

In 2025, officials broke ground on a new parking garage with 7,000 spaces opening in two phases, as well as broke ground on the Atrium Infill project.

Check out six upcoming or ongoing transportation projects across the Austin metro. 

Upcoming projects
Crystal Falls Parkway rail bridge
Project: Leander city officials are considering building a railroad bridge over Crystal Falls Parkway at US 183, removing the current ground-level rail crossing and allowing traffic to flow uninterrupted by passing trains.
Update: The city is actively seeking a $40 million grant from TxDOT. The design phase is expected to take around two and a half years, followed by roughly three years of construction.

• Timeline: 2029-32
• Cost: $103 million
• Funding source: TBD

• Timeline: total project completion expected in 2029
• Cost: $4.5 billion
• Funding source: TxDOT and CAMPO