toll roads are a-opening

Yesterday, the first toll roads in the Austin area opened to traffic. Loop 1 now extends north to the new State Highway 45 which currently stretches between RM 620 and the new State 130. 130 is open from US 79 in Round Rock down to US 290.

I was already scheduled to be in Round Rock last night so I was able to drive the stretch from Loop 1 to IH-35. I’m a bit of a dork so I enjoyed myself. Once tolls are collected, cars using the TxTag transponders can stay in the main lanes and pay without slowing down. Cash customers will take an exit of sorts to a row of toll booths. The few toll roads I have driven on (mostly in Oklahoma), transponder customers still had to slow down to 40 MPH and still drove through the plaza. Since traffic does not have to slow down, traffic can flow very smoothly through the toll plazas.

I’m interested to see how IH-35 is impacted once the full length of 130 opens. 130, once current construction is complete, will run from IH-35 north of Georgetown to 183 in Austin. Future construction is planned to extend 130 to IH-10 east of San Antonio. IH-35 can use all the help it can get!