AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin’s Corridor Program Office is working to improve four intersections along East Riverside Drive in southeast Austin. Officials said the improvements will help improve safety, mobility and connectivity.
The improvements stretch about three miles along the corridor. The intersections include Burton Drive/Tinnin Ford Road, Coriander Drive, Willow Creek Drive and Wickersham Lane intersections.
Crews are wrapping up work on the first intersection at Burton Drive and Tinnin Ford Road. Construction on the intersection started last August. Changes include enhanced traffic signals, improvements to curb ramps and pedestrian crossings. Officials said part of the improvements will also include an extension to the left turn bay at Royal Crest Drive and Tinnin Ford Road to help reduce the potential of rear-end crashes.
Median openings at Town Creek Drive and between Tinnin Ford Road and Willow Creek Drive will be closed off. Officials said these closures will keep traffic moving and improve safety.
“Medians are set up to make a left turn into oncoming traffic and so when we are able to reduce the number of left turns on a high traffic corridor that allows us to mitigate potential accidents,” said Dea Crichton, the Corridor Program Office’s communications manager.
Crews recently started work on the Coriander Drive intersection. Drivers in that area will notice another extension to the left turn bay, improved curb ramps, a closed median at Uphill Lane and additional median adjustments that will restrict left turns from Airport Commerce Drive to eastbound Riverside Drive, and Riverside Drive to southbound Airport Commerce Drive.
In the coming months, crews will get to work on intersections at Willow Creek Drive and Wickersham Lane.
At Willow Creek Drive, drivers can expect similar changes to the curb and traffic signals as well as an extension to the turn bay from westbound Riverside Drive to southbound Willow Creek Drive.
Down the road at Wickersham Lane, the extended turn bay will run from westbound Riverside Drive to southbound Wickersham Lane and drivers will have a new right-turn lane from westbound Riverside Drive to northbound Wickersham Lane.
“The overall goal for all of our improvements, but these intersections specifically, is typically is to improve mobility, safety and connectivity,” Crichton said.
The $700,000 in funding for the four intersections comes from the 2016 Mobility Bond. Construction is expected to be completed by this spring.
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