TxDOT expects to finish the Loop 360 underpasses at Westlake Drive and Cedar Street in late 2026, weather permitting, about four and a half years after work started in June 2022. TxDOT's program map shows the intersection at RM 2244, which is Bee Cave Road, and the Walsh Tarlton Lane signal with no construction date. Only one other project on the corridor is active, at Courtyard Drive and RM 2222, and it runs through late 2029. The signals at RM 2244 and Walsh Tarlton Lane stay until TxDOT finds funding for those projects.
What the left lane already does
Since Aug. 30, 2026, Loop 360 has had one new mainlane open in each direction through this stretch. TxDOT's posted pattern works like this:
- Through traffic stays left. The left lane runs under the cross streets and skips the signals at Westlake Drive and Cedar Street.
- Local traffic exits right. The right side is how you reach Westlake Drive and Cedar Street.
- Turning around happens on the bridge. Non-signalized U-turns on the Westlake Drive bridge give access to northbound and southbound Loop 360.
KXAN reported before the opening that access to the connector roads would stay in place once the new lanes carried traffic. So two kinds of driver now share this segment on very different terms. Someone passing through to the Pennybacker Bridge rarely has to stop. Someone heading home on Westlake Drive still exits, merges, and may make that U-turn.
What's left before late 2026
According to TxDOT, the project has five phases. Phase 1, the work zone setup and waterlines, is done. Phases 2 through 4 are all in progress at once: new northbound and southbound connector roads, drainage, and shared-use paths, then the Westlake Drive bridge, then the Cedar Street bridge and the rest of the mainlanes. Phase 5 is the one drivers will notice, with final paving, striping, and the switch to permanent traffic patterns.
Until that happens, the work zone runs on a set schedule. TxDOT says construction continues on the Loop 360 mainlanes between Bold Ruler Way and the Pennybacker Bridge through late 2026. Excavation happens weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and hauling happens at night. The connector road has also had overnight closures. Most recently, single lanes alternated on both the northbound and southbound connectors between the Pennybacker Bridge and the Shell station from Oct. 11 to Oct. 15, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Expect more nights like that while paving and striping wrap up.
Community Impact's Oct. 12 roundup puts the project cost at $72.1 million, paid for by TxDOT and the City of Austin's 2016 mobility bond, and says the finished intersections add shared-use paths and sidewalks along with the underpasses. TxDOT names Copasa Group as the contractor.
The rest of the Loop 360 map, by status
TxDOT is rebuilding 14 miles of Loop 360 under its Texas Clear Lanes congestion program. Here is where each of the five projects stands as of mid-October 2026:
| Project | What it changes | Status as of October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Westlake Drive / Cedar Street | Removes mainlane signals, adds underpasses, shared-use paths, sidewalks | Under construction, finish expected late 2026 |
| Courtyard Drive / RM 2222 | Removes the Courtyard signal, reconfigures RM 2222 as a Diverging Diamond Interchange | Construction began April 2026, finish expected late 2029 |
| RM 2244 | Intersection improvements, Diverging Diamond Interchange under evaluation | Waiting for more funding, no schedule |
| MoPac to RM 2244 | Removes signals, adds an overpass at Walsh Tarlton Lane and an overpass or underpass at Lost Creek Boulevard and Westbank Drive | Contingent on funding, no schedule |
| Lakewood Drive / Spicewood Springs Road | Removes mainlane signals, adds an overpass at the cross street | Environmentally cleared summer 2023, construction could begin as early as 2029 |
Westlake Drive is the only project finishing this year. Courtyard Drive and RM 2222 started construction this spring and runs on a timeline of more than three years. TxDOT's own project page describes the Courtyard work as an underpass. RM 2244 and the MoPac-to-RM 2244 segment with its Walsh Tarlton overpass have no timeline, no cost, and no funding source.
Why RM 2244 is the one to watch
The RM 2244 project page is short. It describes improvements at the intersection, says the team will evaluate a potential Diverging Diamond Interchange, and lists its schedule in one sentence: the project moves forward when more funding becomes available. A Diverging Diamond Interchange briefly moves traffic to the opposite side of the road so left turns don't cross oncoming lanes. TxDOT has already chosen that design for RM 2222 at Loop 360, which is under construction now.
The MoPac-to-RM 2244 segment is older on paper. Environmental work began in fall 2019, TxDOT held public engagement events in 2019 and 2020, and construction still depends on funding. Lakewood Drive and Spicewood Springs Road at least has a possible start year of 2029, even if it isn't firm. RM 2244 and MoPac-to-RM 2244 have no comparable date posted.
Once Westlake Drive opens in its permanent pattern, drivers there skip two signals. The signals at RM 2244 and Walsh Tarlton Lane have no published date for when that will change.
The places inside the work zone
Several regular stops sit right in this stretch, and each one has its own construction workaround.
Davenport Village, at 3801 N. Capital of Texas Hwy., is on Loop 360 itself. Its tenants include Maudie's Tex-Mex, Salons by JC, and Club Champion. Under the current setup, drivers on the mainlanes exit right for Westlake Drive and Cedar Street, and the U-turns on the Westlake Drive bridge are non-signalized.
The Loop 360 Boat Ramp, which Travis County Parks places below the south end of the Pennybacker Bridge, has had less room during construction. The county says TxDOT work limits parking to 10 boat-trailer spaces. Ramp parking was already tight in June 2025, when Community Impact reported the Westlake Drive crossover closed with detours in place.
The Pennybacker Bridge overlook parking is on the west side of Loop 360, north of the bridge, according to Visit Austin. TxDOT describes the active construction zone as running from Bold Ruler Way to the bridge, so guests coming from the south end will pass through it on the way to the view.
What changes after phase 5
When TxDOT finishes the final paving and striping, the left-lane bypass becomes the permanent design rather than a temporary routing. The project's shared-use paths and sidewalks are part of that finished design. Courtyard Drive and RM 2222 keep going until their expected finish in late 2029. At RM 2244, TxDOT's schedule says only that the project moves forward when more funding becomes available.
If you'd like to talk about how the new Loop 360 traffic pattern affects a home you own or one you're thinking about, Leslie Gossett is glad to go through it with you. Let's Connect.
