Williams Drive bridge and I-35 overnight closures this weekend
Starting Friday, April 21 at 10 p.m., northbound and southbound I-35 frontage roads will close at Williams Drive to switch traffic to the newly constructed portion of the Williams Drive bridge. The original Williams Drive bridge will be closed. The frontage roads will reopen and traffic will move to the new portion of bridge by 9 a.m. on Saturday, weather permitting.
Then, on Saturday, April 22 starting at 10 p.m., crews will demolish and remove the remaining portion of the original Williams Drive bridge. The northbound and southbound I-35 mainlanes will close between Lakeway Drive and SH 29. Northbound I-35 traffic will exit at Williams Drive (exit 262) and re-enter at Northwest Boulevard. Southbound I-35 traffic will exit at Williams Drive (exit 262) and re-enter at SH 29.
The new Williams Drive bridge will also be closed during Saturday night’s demolition. Eastbound traffic will detour to the southbound I-35 frontage road and use the U-turn at SH 29 to access Williams Drive. Westbound traffic will detour to the northbound I-35 frontage road and turn left at Lakeway Drive to access Williams Drive.
All lanes will reopen to traffic by 10 a.m. on Sunday, weather permitting.
See project details at my35construction.org/projects/williams-drive.
Updated: Williams Drive bridge and I-35 frontage road closings overnight
Updated April 17: There will be overnight closures on the Williams Drive bridge and I-35 frontage roads at Williams Drive from 9 p.m.-5 a.m. Monday, April 17 through Thursday, April 20. (Same closure and map as last week.)
—
The Texas Department of Transportation will close the Williams Drive bridge over I-35 and the I-35 frontage roads at the Williams Drive intersection overnight April 10-13 for paving work.
Beginning on Monday, April 10 through Thursday, April 13, the northbound and southbound I-35 frontage roads will be closed at Williams Drive at 9 p.m., nightly.
Look for detour signs for these overnight closures.
All lanes will reopen to traffic by 5 a.m. each day, weather permitting.
The closures are for the ongoing work for the diverging diamond interchange at Williams Drive and I-35.
Road signs will be placed to alert drivers of the upcoming closures. To learn more about this project, visit my35construction.org/projects/williams-drive.
Updated: Winter storm cleanup information
Updated Monday, April 10, 3:26 p.m.
Para traducir esta página al español, haga clic en el cuadro de traducción cerca de la parte superior derecha de esta página y seleccione español.
This page outlines resources and options as we work through the aftermath of the winter storm Jan. 30-Feb. 2, 2023. Click any of the topics below to be taken directly to that section.
- Tree debris cleanup
- Answers to frequently asked questions
- Debris cleanup tweetalong
- Trees in powerlines
- Heritage trees
- Reporting damage
- Electricity
Tree debris cleanup
Trees touching a power line must be reported by emailing customercare@georgetown.org. Please include “Winter Storm 2023 Electric Meter” in the subject.
To find out whether you live inside the Georgetown city limits, please enter your address into this map. Georgetown city limits are denoted by the light orange shading. If you still aren’t sure, please email customercare@georgetown.org.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Debris cleanup Tweetalong
On Feb. 27, the City’s contractor, business name?, began curbside pickup of debris from Winter Storm Mara, which hit Georgetown in early February. We wanted to take our residents on a behind-the-scenes look and ride along with Lenny Claypoole, who has been working with Global Emergency Services for several years.
The contractor has deployed seven trucks to work throughout the City cleaning up debris placed along the street by residents in the city limits. Find out more about the curbside pickup, including answers to some of our most frequently asked questions elsewhere on this page.
Claypoole said his tips for people with curbside tree debris is to make sure it’s:
- Not under trees or utility lines
- Away from electrical boxes or hydrants, and
- Not behind cars parked on the street.
Crews are working as quickly as they can, and these barriers can make it difficult to get the job done. He also said residents shouldn’t worry if they see a truck skip a brush pile. The driver will be back. There are several reasons they may skip one or two piles on your street, including that the truck may need to turn around to best get around obstacles or to be in a better position to collect those specific piles.
The trucks’ trailers can carry up to 158 cubic yards of debris. While it seems like a lot, watching them work to collect debris, it’s surprising how quickly those trucks fill up. Claypoole said he appreciates how welcoming Georgetown residents have been and asks that people be patient as the crews continue to work. In some of the harder-hit areas or areas with a lot of trees and overhead utility lines, it may take longer for crews to get through the neighborhood.
While the City does not have a neighborhood schedule for pickup, crews are working and will collect all debris that has been left at the curb as of Feb. 26. Items left after the trucks have passed through neighborhoods will not be collected.
Check out our Twitter feed to see our Tweetalong!
Tree limbs & downed electric lines
The City WILL NOT go on private property to remove or cut down tree limbs. If you are a Georgetown utility customer and have tree limbs on power lines, DO NOT touch them. This includes limbs on feeder lines along the street or on service lines between your house and a pole.
Please report any downed power lines to customercare@georgetown.org and include “Winter Storm 2023 Electric Meter” in the subject.
For limbs on electric feeder lines along the street, the electric utility will remove the limb and make any needed repairs.
For limbs on a service line from a pole to your house, or for damaged or disconnected service lines, you must work with the City to disconnect/reconnect your electric service. Report the downed line to customercare@georgetown.org. Once the request is received and processed, our crews will disconnect electricity while the repairs are made by the private contractor hired by the resident. City electric crews will not be making repairs on private property.
Cable companies are responsible for their lines. We have notified the local cable companies that they have compromised lines in Georgetown.
Removing and pruning heritage trees
If you had a heritage tree damaged in the winter storm, make sure you take pictures and store them somewhere you can easily find them later. This may help with future pruning or removal permits.
Not sure if your tree qualifies as a heritage tree? The Heritage Tree classification applies to any of the following tree species that has a diameter of 26 inches or larger: Live Oak, Post Oak, Shumard Oak, Bur Oak, Chinquapin Oak, Monterey Oak, Bald Cypress, American Elm, Cedar Elm, Pecan, Walnut, Texas Ash, or Southern Magnolia.
For more details or questions, please email planning@georgetown.org.
Reporting damage
The State of Texas, Williamson County, and the City of Georgetown have issued disaster declarations due to the winter storm (Read the City’s disaster declaration). If you experienced any damage to your home or business from this winter weather, fill out this survey to help state officials document damages. Damage can include cost of spoiled food from power outages, frozen pipes, and roof or solar panel damage from falling limbs. Do not include broken or damaged trees, as this reporting only considers damages to homes and businesses.
To receive help from the federal government during a disaster, states need to submit a preliminary damage assessment that details the severity of the damage. The assessment will determine whether the federal government needs to provide aid and how much money will be available to residents.
This report does not replace notifying your insurance company or guarantee assistance.
Esta encuesta también está disponible en español. Para traducir esta página al español, haga clic en el cuadro de traducción cerca de la parte superior derecha de esta página y seleccione español.
Electricity
For Georgetown electric utility outages, check our online outage map. If you don’t see your location included in the outage, please call 512-930-3640, then press 1 to report it. Our system will recognize your number if it’s tied to your utility account.
Many Georgetown residents may not have City electric. Other area providers include Oncor and PEC.
There were no Electric Reliability Council of Texas-mandated rolling outages for Georgetown during this storm event. Grid information and statewide electric supply and demand can be seen in real-time at ercot.com.
Council meeting broadcast technical problems
We are experiencing technical difficulties with the live broadcast of the April 11, 2023 City Council workshop and meeting today on the website, GTV channel 10, and on Facebook Live.
To watch tonight’s regular meeting, which starts at 6 p.m., please come to the Council and Court Building, 510 W. Ninth St.
We will post a recording at gtv.georgetown.org as soon as we can make it available.
We apologize for the issue and are working to troubleshoot the problem.
Last day to register to vote April 6
The last day to register to vote for the May election is April 6. For information on voter registration, go to this site:
Incumbent Josh Schroeder and Jonathan Dade are candidates for Mayor. Incumbent Council Members Shawn Hood (District 2) and Jake French (District 6) are both are unopposed.
According to a new state law, if a candidate in a single-member district is unopposed, but an at-large race in the jurisdiction is contested, then unopposed candidates will appear on the ballot.
Early in-person voting is April 24-May 2. Election day is May 6. View early voting and Election day polling places, dates, and times.
For details about the city election, go to government.georgetown.org/city-secretary/elections.
Williams Drive bridge and I-35 frontage road closings overnight
The Texas Department of Transportation will close the Williams Drive bridge and the northbound I-35 frontage road at Williams Drive from 9 p.m.-5 a.m. Sunday, April 2 through Thursday, April 6.
Look for detour signs for these overnight closures.
All lanes will reopen to traffic by 5 a.m. each day, weather permitting.
The closures are for the ongoing work for the diverging diamond interchange at Williams Drive and I-35.
Road signs will be placed to alert drivers of the upcoming closures. To learn more about this project, visit my35construction.org/projects/williams-drive.
I-35 mainlanes and Williams Drive bridge overnight closures: Updated
Updated: Nightly full closures both nights for the northbound and southbound I-35 mainlanes for demolition of Williams Drive U-turn bridge
-
- Friday, March 31, 9 p.m. – 10 a.m.
- Saturday, April 1, 9 p.m. – 10 a.m.
REVISED CLOSURE: The Texas Department of Transportation will close the northbound and southbound I-35 mainlanes on Friday and Saturday nights to demolish and remove the existing U-turn bridge at Williams Drive.
On Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1, the northbound and southbound I-35 mainlanes will close to traffic between Lakeway Drive and Hwy. 29, at 9 p.m. nightly. Northbound I-35 traffic will detour at the Williams Drive exit (262) and re-enter the mainlanes north of Northwest Boulevard. Southbound I-35 traffic will use the Williams Drive exit (262) and re-enter the mainlanes at the Hwy. 29 entrance ramp. All lanes will reopen to traffic by 10 a.m. each morning, weather permitting.
The Williams Drive bridge will also be closed during the demolition. Eastbound traffic will detour to the southbound I-35 frontage road and use the U-turn at Hwy. 29 to access Williams Drive. Westbound traffic will detour to the northbound I-35 frontage road before turning left at the signalized intersection at Lakeway Drive to access Williams Drive. (See attached detour map.)
Road signs will be placed to alert drivers of the upcoming closures. TxDOT asks the traveling public to be patient and remain aware when traveling through the work zone. To learn more about this project, visit My35Construction.org.
Georgetown launches power outage text reporting service
Beginning April 10, Georgetown electric utility customers will receive a text message letting them know they are now enrolled in the City’s real-time, power outage texting service.
Once launched, enrolled customers will be able to report electric outages and receive real-time updates via text message to and from 512-930-8400. Water outages must still be reported by phone, and future updates to the system will include water outages in the texting process.
Customers should still track water and electric outages on the City’s online outage maps and only report outages not already reflected on the maps. The City will not automatically text residents about power outages; instead, customers can send text messages to the system to report outages and learn about status updates.
“When services are interrupted, folks need information quickly, and this system lets us do that,” said City Manager David Morgan. “It’s critical for us to be able to send and receive power outage messages in real-time, and we know our customers are looking forward to having a more automated process to report and learn updates about outages.”
The City will automatically sign up residents using the phone number(s) associated with their utility account(s). Customers will also be able to enroll by texting ELECTRIC to 512-930-8400.
“The success of this service depends on our customers making sure they’ve given us the contact information for their accounts,” Morgan said.
Electric customers who do not have phones capable of receiving text messages may still report outages not reflected on the online outage maps to 512-930-3640, then press 1. The City’s phone system will recognize the number if it’s tied to the utility account.
TextPower serves 175+ utilities providing text messaging (SMS) solutions for mission-critical applications for immediate communications with customers via their trademarked SmartAlerts platform.
City facility closures April 7, 9
City of Georgetown offices and facilities will be closed Friday, April 7, for Good Friday. Most facilities with Sunday hours will also be closed Sunday, April 9, for Easter. There will be normal solid waste and recycling collection.
City offices closed April 7
The City offices and facilities closed April 7 for Good Friday include the following:
- City Hall, 808 Martin Luther King Jr. St.
- Council and Courts Building (including Municipal Court), 510 W. Ninth St.
- Georgetown Municipal Complex, 300-1 Industrial Ave.
- Parks and Recreation Administration, 1101 N. College St.
- Planning Department, 809 Martin Luther King Jr. St.
- Public Safety Operations and Training Center, Police Records, and Fire Support Services offices, 3500 D.B. Wood Road
Additional closures
City of Georgetown facilities with weekend or evening hours will observe these closures:
- Animal Shelter, 110 W.L. Walden Drive: Closed April 7 and 9
- Art Center, 816 S. Main St.: Closed April 9
- Grace Heritage Center, 817 S. Main St.: Closed April 9
- Public Library, 402 W. Eighth St.: Open April 7; closed April 8-9
- Recreation Center, 1003 N. Austin Ave.: Closed April 7 and 9
- Tennis Center, 400 Serenada Drive: Closed April 7 and 9
- Visitors Center, 103 W. Seventh St: Closed April 7 and 9
Facilities open
- Airport Terminal, 500 Terminal Drive
- Collection Station, 250 W.L. Walden Drive, will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Garey Park, 6450 RM 2243, will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
GoGeo paratransit bus service
There will not be service Friday, April 7.
Trash and recycling
There will be regular recycling and solid waste collection for City of Georgetown customers on Friday, April 7. Please place carts at the curb by 7 a.m. on your scheduled pickup day. For questions, call Texas Disposal Systems at 512-930-1715.
City seeks feedback on future of downtown
The City is asking residents to share how they use downtown Georgetown and what they’d like to see improved as we work to update our Downtown Master Plan.
The City is undertaking a comprehensive assessment of our historic downtown district to create a vision for future land-use, facilities, programming, and conditions to ensure the continued success of this storied district for years to come. Over the next year, the City and its consultant, Design Workshop, will be investigating and analyzing our existing downtown area, comprehensively engaging the public, researching national trends and best practices, developing and evaluating recommendations, and documenting our findings.
“We urge you to be a part of this process by participating in our numerous community engagement opportunities to ensure all voices are heard throughout this year-long planning process,” Downtown & Tourism Director Kim McAuliffe said.
Members of the public can share feedback through this survey, which closes April 10. Representatives from the City and Design Workshop also provided information and input opportunities at the Williamson County 175th celebration March 10-11 and will present initial findings and additional information at the City’s 175th celebration, which will be during the Red Poppy Festival in the South Main Arts District on April 28-30.
At this stage in the plan-development process, the City is asking for information from the community regarding why they visit downtown, what they like about downtown, what they’d like to see expand or grow, where there are areas for improvement, and any other related feedback to incorporate into the plan update. Residents can also sign up to receive email updates on the plan at the bottom of the project website.
The City’s first Downtown Master Plan was developed in 2003. That plan was updated in 2014 through a collaborative effort between City staff, the Downtown Master Plan Advisory Committee, and residents. As the plan was revised, the City strived to maintain the downtown’s historical character, invest in economic development that not only enhances the lives of area residents, but increases the sustainability and financial standing of Georgetown.
The City will provide additional opportunities during the next several months for the public to continue to provide input and inform the plan.
More information can be found at georgetowndowntownmasterplan.com.