Loop 1 is a

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...

that provides access to the west side of

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in the U.S. state of

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. It is named Mopac Expressway (or, according to some highway signs, Mopac Boulevard) after the

Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad o ...

(or "MoPac"). Local residents almost always use the name "MoPac" rather than calling the road by its number, which can cause much confusion, for few signs along the road use this name. The original section of the highway was built in the 1970s along the

right-of-way A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so. Rights-of-way in the physical sense include controlled-access h ...

of the Missouri Pacific Railroad (now owned by

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United States after BNSF, ...

), with the railroad tracks running in the highway

median The median of a set of numbers is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a Sample (statistics), data sample, a statistical population, population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as the “ ...

between West 8th Street and Northland Drive. To the north, the tracks run along the east side of newer sections of the highway from Northland Drive to Braker Lane.

History

Route designation

The first mention of Loop 1 in public record was in 1929. In 1944, the City of Austin Planning Commission (CMAC) proposed that the highway be built in parts of the under-utilized right of way owned by the MoPac Railroad. Thus, the highway was eventually given the nickname "MoPac" for its proximity to the railroad. The current Loop 1 was designated on October 27, 1967, from US 290 northward to Farm to Market Road 1325 (FM 1325). On October 24, 1985, the designation was extended southward from US 290 to SH 45.

Expressway construction (1969 to 2006)

This table contains the dates of the construction of segments of the road.

Route description

Loop 1's southern terminus is at the beginning of the State Highway 45 stub south of Austin. It passes through the Circle C Ranch housing development and the

Edwards Aquifer The Edwards Aquifer is one of the most prolific artesian aquifers in the world. Located on the eastern edge of the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas, it is the source of drinking water for two million people, and is the primary water su ...

and intersects SH 71/ US 290 (Ben White Boulevard) and Loop 360 (Capital of Texas Highway). It crosses the

Colorado River The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...

near downtown Austin; the view of the

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from the bridge became one of the Capitol View Corridors protected under state and local law from obstruction by tall buildings in 1983. North of the river, the highway runs parallel to the

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and the

Missouri-Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad ...

(Union Pacific) before it intersects

US 183 U.S. Route 183 (US 183) is a north–south United States highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Presho, South Dakota, at an intersection with Interstate 90. Its southern terminus is in Refugio, Texas, at the southern intersectio ...

(Research Boulevard) northwest of downtown. Loop 1 travels concurrently with Farm to Market Road 1325 for several miles before the non-tolled freeway ends at Parmer Lane, spanning a distance of . Loop 1 is designated a scenic roadway by the City of Austin.

Major construction projects

Loop 1 Toll

North of Parmer Lane, Loop 1 continues as a limited-access

toll road A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road for which a fee (or ''Toll (fee), toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented to help recoup the costs of road construction and ...

to the SH 45 North/Loop 1 interchange, spanning . Frontage roads flank either side of the toll road to Merrilltown Drive. The

Texas Department of Transportation The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a Texas state government agency responsible for construction and maintenance of the state's immense Texas state highway system, state highway system and the support of the state's maritime trans ...

completed construction of the tollway as part of the 2002 Central Texas Turnpike Project (CTTP). SH 45 North, also part of the project, provides freeway access to

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bo ...

from Loop 1. The 2002 CTTP was scheduled to be completed in September 2007. However, certain sections of the project, including Loop 1 opened early and more than $100 million under budget. If and when SH 45 is completed to the south of Austin between

FM 1626 FM or Fm may refer to: Technology and computing * Adobe FrameMaker, document processing software * .fm, country-code top-level domain of the Federated States of Micronesia * FM Towns, Fujitsu personal computers * Foundation model, a large m ...

and

I-35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexico–Uni ...

, Loop 1 will effectively serve as a full western loop to the city, being directly connected to SH 45 (and indirectly to I-35) at both ends.

MoPac Improvement Project

Since 1994, TxDOT has proposed the addition of

managed lanes A managed lane is a type of highway lane that is operated with a management scheme, such as lane use restrictions or variable tolling, to optimize traffic flow, vehicle throughput, or both. Definitions and goals vary among transport agencies, bu ...

to portions of Loop 1. The MoPac Improvement Project was relaunched in July 2010 by the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA). In December 2010, four alternative proposals were presented to the public, each of which would add one or more lanes; the "no-build" alternative was also presented. The additions would not increase the right-of-way of the highway, but would be created by reducing the width of existing lanes and reducing and/or eliminating shoulders. An environmental study was completed in August 2012 with a Finding Of No Significant Impact and a recommendation of one new travel lane in each direction, operated as express lanes. Construction began in 2013, and was originally scheduled for completion in September 2015, but by August 2016, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority announced further delays. The first of four tolled sections, specifically the northbound toll lane from RM 2222 to Parmer Lane, opened on October 17, 2016. The remainder of the northbound express lane, from Cesar Chavez Street to Parmer Lane, opened on October 7, 2017, and the entire southbound express lane opened on October 28, 2017.

MoPac Intersections Project

In 2013, CTRMA and TxDOT initiated an environmental study to analyze the best options to improve the MoPac intersections at Slaughter Lane and La Crosse Avenue. In December 2015, the study was completed with a Finding Of No Significant Impact for the project, which allowed it to move forward. The selected design included replacing the at-grade intersection at Slaughter Lane with a diverging diamond interchange (DDI) and the at-grade intersection at La Crosse Avenue with a

diamond interchange A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road. Design The freeway itself is grade separation, grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. ...

. The project broke ground in January 2018 with Webber, LLC as the general contractor. On August 10, 2018, the at-grade Slaughter Lane intersection was rerouted to the south as construction began on an overpass bridge on the original alignment. The completed DDI opened to traffic on November 11, 2018, with final completion occurring in Spring 2019. The La Crosse Avenue intersection began construction in Fall 2018. On March 29, 2019, the La Crosse Avenue at-grade intersection was closed for reconstruction as a bridge. The La Crosse Avenue bridge and intersection opened to traffic on April 16, 2020. The full project, including surrounding sound walls and retention ponds, was officially completed on December 16, 2020.

MoPac South

In 2013, CTRMA and TxDOT initiated an environmental study of the MoPac corridor from Cesar Chavez Street to Slaughter Lane. The environmental study identified the Express Lane(s) Alternative as the Recommended Build Alternative. In October 2015, six proposals were presented to the public, each of which would add one of more express lanes; the "no-build" alternative was also presented. In February 2016, the project was put on hold by a Save Our Springs lawsuit claiming the project had not complied with the National Environmental Policy Act's requirements for environmental studies. The lawsuit was settled on July 18, 2018 with a ruling in favor of CTRMA by the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. However, the project was further delayed by a state moratorium on toll projects receiving funding from State Propositions 1 and 7. TxDOT gave CTRMA preliminary approval to resume planning for MoPac South in August 2019. In November 2021, the project was officially revitalized with a virtual open house, and it is currently in public planning phases.

Exit list

References

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External links

{{Toll Roads in Texas 001 001 Freeways in Texas Transportation in Austin, Texas Transportation in Travis County, Texas Transportation in Williamson County, Texas Missouri Pacific Railroad