$1M+ in safety upgrades coming to 2 Austin intersections

Two Austin intersections are slated to undergo safety and mobility upgrades following a vote from the Austin City Council Thursday.

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for May 18, 2023.

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Nearly $1 million in safety improvements are slated to come to an intersection along FM 969, following action by the Austin City Council Thursday.

Council approved a nearly $942,000 contractual agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation for safety and mobility upgrades planned at FM 969 (Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard) and Regency Drive.

The planned improvements include a new traffic signal, a raised concrete median, American with Disabilities Act-compliant ramps, pedestrian crossings as well as a new sidewalk. The project, currently under design, is set to begin construction next year.

Elsewhere on council Thursday, city leaders approved nearly $168,000 in enhancements at the intersection of East Seventh Street and Comal Street. That project features signal upgrades, a "curb bulb-out to allow dedicated bicycle transition through the intersection," improved curb ramps and the addition of delineator posts along Comal Street's northbound bike lane.

Officials are wrapping up project designs, with construction set to begin late this year.

Funding for the two projects was made via the City of Austin's 2020 Mobility Bond and the Intersection Safety/Vision Zero Program funds, as implemented by the city's Transportation and Public Works Department. TxDOT is assisting with the project on design reviews and permitting, per city documents.