Heading north on Loop 360 toward the Pennybacker Bridge, the left lane now runs under Westlake Drive, then under Cedar Street, and never meets a red light. Since the last Sunday in August, that single lane in each direction has carried through traffic past two intersections that used to stop it.
The stoplights are gone, but the project isn't finished. The stretch between Bold Ruler Way and the bridge is still an active work zone, with one lane each way, connector roads still being built and overnight closures. The Texas Department of Transportation still lists its completion as late 2026, weather permitting. Once it's done, this will be the only finished signal-removal project on the Loop 360 program map for at least three years.
How the drive works right now
TxDOT's project page describes the current traffic pattern in a few lines, and it's the version worth keeping in mind until final striping:
- Passing through. Stay in the left lane on Loop 360 to bypass both Westlake Drive and Cedar Street.
- Getting off. Exit right onto the connector roads for Westlake Drive or Cedar Street.
- Turning around. Non-signal U-turns on the Westlake Drive bridge give access to both northbound and southbound Loop 360.
KXAN reported when the new lanes opened that the southbound U-turn south of Bold Ruler Way would also stay open. That gives drivers coming from Davenport Village a second place to reverse direction.
The work that's left happens mostly overnight
With the mainlanes under both cross streets, the remaining work looks smaller from behind the wheel. TxDOT's phase list shows how much is still open:
- Phase 1, complete: work zone setup and waterlines.
- Phase 2, ongoing: new northbound and southbound connector roads, drainage systems and shared-use paths.
- Phase 3, ongoing: the Westlake Drive bridge and the start of both mainlanes.
- Phase 4, ongoing: the Cedar Street bridge and completion of both mainlanes.
- Phase 5, ahead: final paving and striping, then opening to permanent traffic patterns.
Three of the five phases are still listed as ongoing even though drivers are already using the new mainlanes. In practice, that means work continues on both sides of the road you're driving on. TxDOT schedules excavation for 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 first week of November showed what that night work feels like. Over four nights, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., TxDOT closed the northbound mainlane between the Shell station and the Pennybacker Bridge along with East Westlake access, then the boat ramp access road, then Cedar Street access, then West Westlake Drive access. The connector roads between the bridge and Bold Ruler Way had alternating single-lane closures all week. Expect more weeks like that as paving and striping get closer, and check the project page before a late drive to the boat ramp.
The finish line has moved once already
Construction started in June 2022, and Copasa Group is the contractor. TxDOT's June 2025 construction information sheet put the expected completion at mid-2026. The project page now says late 2026, and Community Impact's October 30 roundup of Lake Travis and Westlake transportation projects repeats that mainlane work between Bold Ruler Way and the Pennybacker Bridge continues "through late 2026."
The project costs $72.1 million, paid for by TxDOT and the City of Austin's 2016 mobility bond. Community Impact's October 12 update gives the timeline as 2022 to 2026. With fewer than two months left in that window, any further slip would push the project into a sixth calendar year.
What the finished interchange adds on foot
The project also builds infrastructure for walking and biking. TxDOT's construction sheet calls for shared-use paths and sidewalks within the project limits to improve bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. The project schematic labels a proposed 10-foot shared-use path along the west side of Westlake Drive, along with a proposed 6-foot sidewalk.
These paths belong to Phase 2, alongside the connector roads. Like the paving and striping, they're part of what still has to be finished before TxDOT can call the project done.
Where the cones go next
Community Impact describes the Westlake Drive/Cedar Street project as one piece of TxDOT's overhaul of 14 miles of Loop 360 under the Texas Clear Lanes congestion relief program. The rest of the program shows how long Westlake Drive and Cedar Street will remain the corridor's newest finished interchange.
| Project | What changes | Status as of fall 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Westlake Drive/Cedar Street | Mainlane signals removed, underpasses at both cross streets, paths and sidewalks | Under construction, completion expected late 2026 |
| Courtyard Drive/RM 2222 | Mainlane signal removed at Courtyard, RM 2222 rebuilt as a diverging diamond interchange, paths and sidewalks | Broke ground April 29, 2026, timeline through 2029, $68.4 million |
| Lakewood Drive/Spicewood Springs Road | Mainlane signals removed, overpass at the cross street | Environmentally cleared in summer 2023, construction could begin in 2029, depending on funding |
| RM 2244/Bee Cave Road | Intersection improvements, with a diverging diamond interchange under evaluation | Moves forward once additional funding is available, no timeline |
| MoPac to RM 2244 | Mainlane signals removed, overpass at Walsh Tarlton Lane, overpass or underpass at Lost Creek Boulevard and Westbank Drive | Environmental work began in fall 2019, construction depends on funding, no timeline |
For Westlake drivers, the last two rows matter most. TxDOT's RM 2244 project page says the team will evaluate a diverging diamond interchange at Bee Cave Road and will advance the project once more funding is available. The planned MoPac to RM 2244 project would take signals out of the mainlanes at the southern Barton Creek Square entrance, Walsh Tarlton Lane, Westbank Drive, Las Cimas Parkway and Lost Creek Boulevard. It would also add frontage roads, a shared-use path and sidewalks. Neither project has a construction start date.
Once Westlake Drive and Cedar Street wrap up, the only project still under construction on Loop 360 will be Courtyard Drive and RM 2222. Work there started April 29, and TxDOT expects completion in late 2029. Community Impact reports the work will happen in four phases. At that point, the southern end of Loop 360 will have no active TxDOT construction. The intersections at Bee Cave Road, Walsh Tarlton Lane and Lost Creek Boulevard keep their mainlane signals until funding arrives.
Traffic on Loop 360 shapes daily life in Westlake, and it also shapes which streets feel convenient when you're thinking about a next home. If you'd like a calm, informed conversation about how this corridor fits into your plans, Bessie Ostertag is always glad to help. Let's Connect.
