The County has experienced a tremendous amount of growth in recent years, and we anticipate this trend to continue. In 2019, the County ranked 9th as the fastest-growing large-county in the nation, and the population is projected to nearly triple by 2050. This rapid growth requires the County to properly plan for new developments, including the infrastructure within those developments, and to maintain the safety and quality of life for its residents.
A major responsibility of the County directly impacted by that growth is maintaining the safety and integrity of 1,400 miles of county roads. In the last five years, the County has seen 334 subdivisions constructed to accommodate the explosive growth. More than 530 miles of county roads are located in subdivisions.
In 2011, Williamson County began a program to resurface all asphalt county roads on a cycle with a goal to complete all roads over a 10-year period. Based on the conditions of the roads, a schedule is determined each year. Crack sealing of roads is done more frequently, approximately every 2-3 years. Cul-de-sacs are resurfaced every 3-5 years. We have successfully completed our first 10-year cycle.
Because the County is responsible for this ongoing maintenance and repairs, it is important that the County has a standard for these roads, so we are introducing pavement design standards under the Subdivision Regulations. A public meeting to introduce the pavement design standards was held from July 28 to August 18.
Next Steps
Following the end of the comment period, the County will review the feedback and amend the pavement design standards, as necessary. After the comment period has closed, the Commissioners Court will vote on the proposed changes. If approved, the changes would go into effect immediately.