Cedar Park officials are moving forward with intersection improvements on the 183A Toll frontage road at Scottsdale Drive.

The details: This project includes improvements such as widening existing roadways, improving signals, improving drainage and maintaining shared-use path connections and crosswalks. The project will also add a dedicated U-turn lane to improve traffic movements at the intersection, according to an Oct. 22 presentation by city engineering staff.

Because the 183A Toll frontage roads are owned by the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, or CTRMA, the city entered into an interlocal agreement with the agency. City Council authorized the agreement Oct. 22.

The work is funded through the city's Type 4B economic development sales tax, which is a local sales tax rate that Texas cities can adopt to fund community development and economic projects. The road improvements are expected to cost around $1.3 million.

Looking ahead: Construction proposals opened Oct. 20, with city staff anticipating construction approval in November and work beginning in December or January.

The project is not expected to affect tolls.

Williamson County officials plan to evaluate school crosswalk safety throughout the unincorporated areas of the county, following commissioners' approval of a study at the Oct. 27 meeting.

Learn more: County Engineer Adam Boatright will evaluate school crosswalks on county-maintained roadways. Boatright will lead the effort in coordination with school districts and regional partners to help determine potential safety projects and apply for funding, according to a county news release.

The county’s school crosswalk study is anticipated to be completed in summer 2027.

Why it matters: Last spring, two students were hit by cars while using school crosswalks, Judge Steve Snell said at the meeting. Although crossing guards tend to crosswalks 30 minutes before and after school, students also access these roads outside those times.

"The last thing we want is for a kid to get hurt or possibly anything worse," Snell said.

The county also applied for additional Safe Streets and Roads for All federal grant funding this year for school crosswalk safety improvements.

The PGA Tour is returning to Austin with the inaugural Austin Championship at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa on Nov. 9-12.

The details: The tournament will showcase 120 players, marking PGA Tour’s first event in Austin since the 2023 World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play. The Austin Championship has the potential to return annually, depending on if PGA Tour secures a lead sponsor for the event, according to Ian Helm, tournament director at HNS Sports Group.

The big picture: The PGA Tour is taking over Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa this fall with a reimagined tournament, hosting the Austin Championship as part of the FedExCup Fall series.

The FedExCup Fall series includes eight events that shape each golfer’s eligibility for the 2027 PGA Tour season. The tournament will see 120 players compete for a $6 million prize and 500 FedExCup points.

More than 4.5 million Texans cast ballots in the first seven days of early voting in the Nov. 3 election, state data shows.

The overview: From Oct. 19-25, 23.8% of Texas' 19 million registered voters had voted in-person or by mail, according to voter turnout data submitted by counties and reported by the secretary of state. This is slightly below early voting turnout at the same point in 2018 and several percentage points above turnout in 2022.

Some context: Turnout this fall follows voter enthusiasm during the March primary election, when more Texans voted early than in recent primaries. In total, about 4.5 million people—or one-fourth of voters registered at the time—cast ballots in Texas' March election, setting a primary turnout record.

At the polls: Registered voters can visit any polling place in their county through Oct. 30, the last day of early voting. Election Day is Nov. 3. Texans can read Q&As with dozens of candidates, find local polling sites and print a custom sample ballot at communityimpact.com/voter-guide.