Head north on Loop 360 toward Pennybacker Bridge this week and you can stay in the left lane straight through Westlake Drive and Cedar Street without stopping. Each direction has one mainlane open, and it runs under both cross streets. The red lights that used to define this stretch now sit above you.
On Aug. 28, KXAN reported that TxDOT planned to open those lanes that Sunday morning, and TxDOT's project page now lists one lane open in each direction. Commuters passing through already have most of what the project promised them. The remaining work is mostly for people whose trips start or end within a mile of the interchange: the turn onto Cedar, the U-turn back toward Bee Cave Road, the walk to Davenport Village.
The Through Trip Is Faster. Local Trips Now Take Detours.
The current layout works well for anyone heading to Lakeway or the Arboretum. If you're going to a destination right beside the highway, you take a few extra moves. Here is how TxDOT describes the current setup on its Westlake Drive/Cedar Street project page:
- Passing through: Stay in the left lane to bypass the signals at Westlake Drive and Cedar Street.
- Getting to Westlake Drive or Cedar Street: Exit right onto the connector roads, which carry you to both cross streets.
- Getting back onto Loop 360: Use the non-signalized U-turns on the Westlake Drive bridge, which give access to both northbound and southbound Loop 360.
- Turning around farther north: Per TxDOT's announcement as reported by KXAN, the southbound U-turn south of Bold Ruler Way remains open.
That southbound U-turn has its own history. In TxDOT's February 2025 community Q&A, the project team said it was considering an extra U-turn south of Bold Ruler "in response to community requests." It was looking for an option that could be built safely without creating new problems, "such as bypass traffic through neighboring communities." The turnaround exists because neighbors asked for it.
What the Final Phase Changes at Cedar Street
TxDOT breaks the project into five phases. Phase 1, waterlines and the work zone, is finished. Phases 2 through 4 are listed as ongoing: the connector roads and shared-use paths, the Westlake Drive bridge, and the Cedar Street bridge with the rest of the mainlanes. Phase 5 is the last step: "final paving and striping and open to permanent traffic patterns."
For drivers, Cedar Street changes the most. The tight left-lane exit from northbound Loop 360 to Cedar is temporary. The Q&A says that once the mainlanes take their final configuration, "the left turn lanes at Cedar will be at grade and accessible from the connector roads." In practice, the Cedar left turn moves off the high-speed lanes and onto the slower local road beside them. TxDOT's design schematic shows two 12-foot mainlanes in each direction at the underpass, which is twice the single lane each way open now.
Until then, most of the work happens at night. TxDOT's closure list for Nov. 1 through 5 shows how the remaining work moves through local access points one night at a time, with each closure running from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.:
- Nov. 1 through 5: Alternating single-lane closures on the northbound and southbound connector roads between Pennybacker Bridge and Bold Ruler Way
- Nov. 1: Alternating closures of Bold Ruler Way and Waymaker Way access from northbound Loop 360
- Nov. 2: Northbound mainlane closed between the Shell/Refuel station and Pennybacker Bridge, along with East Westlake access
- Nov. 3: Boat ramp access road at Loop 360 closed
- Nov. 4: Cedar Street access closed
- Nov. 5: West Westlake Drive access closed
Daytime work continues too. Excavation on the mainlanes between Bold Ruler Way and Pennybacker Bridge runs weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and hauling happens overnight. The project page updates its closure list as the schedule changes, so check it before any late-night drive.
The Paths Are the Piece Still to Come
The finished interchange adds walking and biking routes for people who live here. TxDOT's Q&A describes them this way:
"Alongside the new mainlanes, these 10 ft wide paths are generally 5 ft away from the roadway's curbs and gutters. They will not be striped but are wide enough for bicyclists and pedestrians to use simultaneously without conflict. There will also be protected east to west shared use paths on the Westlake and Cedar Street bridges."
The protected crossings on the bridges matter most for nearby errands. Today, getting across Loop 360 at Westlake Drive means getting in a car. Once the paths are done, it means walking over a bridge. In a September 2025 campus update, St. Stephen's described the walking route it expects. It starts at the school, passes Jack Allen's, crosses the Westlake Drive bridge to Davenport Village, heads north toward Pennybacker Bridge, and comes back. At that time the school said pedestrian access was still under construction.
The crossing leads to Davenport Village at 3801 N. Capital of Texas Hwy. Its owner lists Maudie's Tex-Mex, Salons by JC and Club Champion among its established names. Construction access to the center has been a concern for years. Back in 2022, Community Impact reported that Northwest Hills Pharmacy, located in Davenport Village, was worried about how customers and delivery drivers would get there during the work. Pedestrian access is the last piece of that access problem.
The finish work should also fit the hillside. According to the Q&A, the bridges get natural limestone surfaces, painted finishes and star motifs, and the retaining walls are treated to look like native stone. The Pennybacker Bridge is not part of this project. TxDOT says there are no plans to change it "other than to maintain it."
The Finish Date Has Moved Before
TxDOT now says construction, which began in June 2022, should be complete "late 2026, weather permitting." The target has shifted twice:
| When reported | Expected completion | Source |
|---|---|---|
| June 2022, at groundbreaking | Mid-2025 | Community Impact |
| February 2025 | Mid-2026 | Community Impact |
| Current project page | Late 2026, weather permitting | TxDOT |
The contractor is Copasa Group. Community Impact's October 2026 corridor roundup puts the cost at $72.1 million, paid for by TxDOT and Austin's 2016 mobility bond. The work left to finish covers the connector roads and shared-use paths, the Cedar Street bridge and remaining mainlanes, and then the final paving and striping that open permanent traffic patterns.
The Construction Zone Moves North
As the Westlake stretch wraps up, work farther up the corridor has started. TxDOT broke ground on the Courtyard Drive/RM 2222 project on April 29, 2026, and its project page sets completion for late 2029. The plan includes an underpass at Courtyard, a diverging diamond interchange at RM 2222, and paths and sidewalks, with Webber as contractor. Community Impact lists its cost at $68.4 million.
The other corridor projects are less certain:
- Lakewood Drive/Spicewood Springs Road: Environmentally cleared in summer 2023. Construction depends on funding and could start as early as 2029.
- MoPac to RM 2244, including Walsh Tarlton: Depends on funding, with timeline and cost listed as TBD in the October roundup.
- RM 2244/Bee Cave Road: Still being evaluated as a possible diverging diamond interchange. It will move forward when more funding becomes available.
For West Lake Hills, the intersection with the most uncertain future is the closest one. Bee Cave Road at Loop 360 is still waiting on funding. After the Westlake Drive and Cedar Street work finishes, it will be the nearest Loop 360 intersection where traffic still stops at a light.
If you're thinking about a move near Westlake Drive, Cedar Street or Bee Cave Road and want to know how the finished interchange affects daily access from a particular street, The Weiss Group can walk through it with you. Work With Us.
