The intersection of East New Hope Drive and Mayfield Ranch Boulevard could become a four-way stop, pending final action from local officials.

Why now? As the northwestern portion of the city grows, the intersection’s observed traffic volume is approaching the threshold for an all-way stop, Assistant Transportation Director Brian Kuhn said in a July 21 packet briefing.

If approved, stop signs would be added to the east- and westbound East New Hope Drive lanes. The intersection currently operates as a two-way stop for north- and southbound traffic on Mayfield Ranch Boulevard.

What’s next? City Council approved the first reading of the ordinance July 23 and will take another vote to finalize the measure in the future.

Looking for something to do as summer winds down? Check out these Round Rock-area events happening Aug. 6-Sept. 13. 

Vintage Market Days
The upscale vintage-inspired market features original art, antiques, clothing, jewelry, handmade treasures, home decor, outdoor furnishings, seasonal plantings and more.

• Aug. 14-15, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• $7 and up
• 3001 Kalahari Blvd., Round Rock

• Aug. 25, 6:45 p.m.
• Free (admission) with donation
• 3400 E. Palm Valley Blvd., Round Rock

• Sept. 11-12, 5:30 p.m. (Friday)-11 a.m. (Saturday)
• $10 (before Sept. 1), $15 (after Sept. 1)
• 3103 Aten Loop, Round Rock

Check out the latest transportation projects across the Austin metro. 

Upcoming projects

I-35 at Inner Loop Interchange

Project: The project includes the design and construction of improvements to the interchange between SE Inner Loop and I-35 in Georgetown.

Update: All work for the project has been put on hold pending TxDOT advancing the design of I-35.

• Timeline: TBD

• Cost: TBD

• Funding source: Williamson County 2023 road bond

Ongoing projects

Oak Hill Parkway

Project: The Texas Department of Transportation is currently reconstructing Hwy. 290 in Oak Hill, transforming the existing four-lane, undivided roadway to a six-lane divided highway with new frontage roads and 14 miles of shared-use paths.

Update: As of July, drivers can now travel on newly opened mainlanes, frontage roads and ramps. Drivers can expect ongoing painting, landscaping, asphalt paving, striping and shared-use path improvements to cause lane closures.

• Timeline: 2022-26 (total project)

• Cost: $677 million allocated for the entire project

• Funding source: TxDOT

Texas is halting the approval of new data center projects until state regulators can audit all data centers seeking to connect to the power grid, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Aug. 3.

The overview: The governor directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to conduct “a comprehensive verification and audit” of all data center applicants “before any additional data centers are approved to move forward.” 

Data center regulation has emerged as a bipartisan issue in recent months, and the move comes amid both growing public criticism of Texas’ booming data center industry and recent political pressure for Abbott to respond.

Zooming in: Abbott asked the PUC and ERCOT to collect information about the tax exemptions each data center is collecting; details about each project's anticipated water and electricity usage; and how data center developers will work to limit noise, light pollution and other impacts on local communities.

Officials did not say how long the pause would last or when the audits would begin.