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Manor residents who packed an open house on the proposed U.S. 290 toll road extension said they welcome relief from worsening traffic but worry the timeline is too slow.
About 100 people reviewed designs and heard updates from the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority Oct. 1 at St. Joseph Catholic Church. The agency is proposing to extend the toll road along U.S. 290 from Texas 130 to Texas 95 in Elgin.
“Our approach to this project has always been to listen first, understand the needs of the community and develop solutions that meet those needs,” CTRMA Director of Engineering Mike Sexton said.
Officials said the new designs include elevated tolled sections to reduce congestion at intersections, dedicated turnarounds to improve traffic flow and extended turn lanes.
According to CTRMA, the stretch of 290 saw about 2,700 crashes from 2020 to 2025, including about 19 fatalities.
ShadowGlen resident Frances Meyer, who has lived in the subdivision for 15 years, said she was encouraged by the proposed elevated roadway, including a section over the subdivision’s entrance at Lexington Street. She said crashes are frequent at FM 973 near the H-E-B and at Lexington, where drivers try to beat the light.
“We’ve needed this since like yesterday,” Meyer said. “We constantly hear sirens from firetrucks and ambulances all day long.”
With construction likely not beginning until 2030 or 2031, Meyer said she worries the process is too slow. She and her husband are considering moving over safety concerns, adding that in April she was run off the road at 290 and Lexington, resulting in two punctured tires and a tow into Austin.
“It concerns me that so many accidents have happened, and we have lost a lot of lives,” Meyer said. “It is sad. We hope (more) lives are not taken needlessly.”
Manor resident Crystabell Trucksess, who has lived in the city for nearly two decades, echoed those concerns.
“The traffic situation in Manor is horrific,” Trucksess said. “If the toll extension helps, that would be great, but the growth is so exponential something needs to give for our area.”
Sam Samaripa, who is running for City Council Place 4, said the city could act sooner by hiring more police officers and cracking down on drivers running red lights, including 18-wheelers.
His opponent, Place 4 Councilwoman Sonia Wallace, said the city is already working on that.
“We have had positions available for a number of budget cycles, and some of the positions have not been filled,” Wallace said. “It’s not just the police force … We need to also have the work done on 290, and we need to have more thoroughfares going through our city in all four directions to help us be able to navigate that.”
CTRMA officials said the project is about midway through its environmental study and schematic design process, which is expected to last until the end of 2027 or early 2028.
In the meantime, the agency said it will continue gathering community input, evaluating improvements and environmental impacts, and determining whether the project should move forward.
Meyer said she is encouraged by how carefully the agency is working with residents.
“When we first started, we were leery,” Meyer said. “We didn’t think anything was going to be put forth, but when it did, it was reassuring to know that they are listening to the public.”
“It concerns me that so many accidents have happened, and we have lost a lot of lives. We hope (more) lives are not taken needlessly.”
— Frances Meyer, ShadowGlen resident
