April 6, 2007
From the desk of John P. Kelly, P.E., MoPac 1 Project
Manager, DMJM Harris
As I’ve mentioned in previous E-Updates, we will be holding
the second set of MoPac 1 open houses next week. The first open house will be on Tuesday,
April 10 at the O. Henry Middle School Cafeteria,
W. 10th Street. The second one will be on Thursday, April 12 at the McCallum High School
Cafeteria,
p.m.
The information presented at both open houses will be the
same, and there will be a lot of it. We
will present the process used to evaluate various alternatives, and then
present a recommended alternative that would add a managed lane in each
direction within the MoPac 1 project limits. A brief presentation about the evaluation process and alternatives under
consideration will be given at 5:30 p.m. and again at 6:45 p.m. on both
nights.
completed to date we will also be presenting information regarding preliminary
locations of potential noise barriers.
throughout the open house to provide more information, listen to your concerns,
and answer questions. Of course, both
open houses will provide you with an opportunity to submit your comments in
either written or transcribed form.
customers on Thursday, May 3 by holding a MoPac 1-to-ONE gathering at the
weather permitting. TxDOT staff and
other members of the MoPac 1 project team will be on hand from
a.m. to meet and greet morning commuters. The Transit
183, which is just northwest of the intersection of US 183 and SL 275 (
Lamar Boulevard).
provide direct communication between individual stakeholders and project team
members. By hosting these gatherings in
convenient locations and times, we are striving to make it easier for
individuals to access the team members to directly ask questions, share
concerns, and offer recommendations. While some of the gatherings may focus on specific themes or issues,
everyone is encouraged to attend and all questions are welcome.
MoPac 1 Information Line at 498-7700 with suggestions for possible meeting
times, locations and topics.
interested in serving on an Aesthetics Advisory Committee (AAC) for the MoPac 1
project. I am pleased to report that all
of the committee’s positions have been filled. Those positions include nine community representatives, a Texas
Historical Commission (THC) representative, a City of Austin (COA)
representative, the TxDOT project manager and the TxDOT District Landscape
Architect.
monthly through August to develop recommendations about how the community’s
identity and values can be reflected in the project’s aesthetic elements. The aesthetic elements include such things as
noise barriers, retaining walls, plantings, ornamental lighting, and sign
structures. TxDOT will consider the
AAC’s input when deciding what actions or recommendations to implement.
landscape architect with the MoPac 1 project team, provides us with technical
support and expertise. The other
members of the committee, listed alphabetically, and their affiliations, are:
MoNAC
Kerry Blackmon,
Landscape Architect
Matthew Bucher, Bryker Woods Neighborhood Association
Adrienne Campbell,
Historical Commission, History Programs Division
Linda Godinez, Bryker Woods Neighborhood Association MoNAC
Sam Haddad,
West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association
Larry Halford, Old
Mark Herber,
MoPac 1 Project Manager
Kay Newell, Allandale Neighborhood Association, MoNAC
Fred Robinson, MoNAC
Ross Robinson, Superintendent of Austin
Steve Sadowsky, City of
Historic Preservation Officer
Krista Saeger,
West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association
to best reflect and respect Austin’s unique character as we improve mobility
through the MoPac 1 project For more
information about the Aesthetics Advisory Committee, visit the project website
at www.MoPac1.org or call Steve Craddock at 512-457-7769.
was held, and no bids were submitted by contractors. The state is going to talk with local
contractors and re-bid the project with a bid opening on May 12. We’ll let you know the results.
John P. Kelly
Project Manager, MoPac 1
DMJM Harris