Williamson County and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) celebrated the East WilCo Highway Segment 3 opening with a ribbon-cutting on June 20, 2025.
The project, which began construction in the fall of 2022, transformed the existing undivided two-lane Farm-to-Market 3349 and County Road 101 roadways into a four-lane divided roadway with bridges over U.S. 79 and the Union Pacific Railroad. The East WilCo Highway Segment 3 project also included the construction of a new interchange between U.S. 79 and FM 3349/CR 101.
HDR and BGE served as design engineers for the project. James Construction was the construction contractor.
The project was jointly funded by Williamson County, through the Williamson County voter-approved 2019 Road Bond, and TxDOT. TxDOT contributed $95 million toward construction.
"The East WilCo Highway Segment 3 project is the largest road project in Williamson County history," said Commissioner Russ Boles. "The Commissioners Court and voters have made a huge investment in east Williamson County, and I greatly appreciate this investment. This expanded roadway will ensure our constituents make it home in a reasonable time."
East WilCo Highway Segment 3 provides a safer, more efficient railroad crossing and gives motorists an opportunity to bypass U.S. 79 in Hutto. The roadway also facilitates improved mobility for emergency services vehicles and school buses, while creating improved connections to industrial and commercial sites.
"Williamson County continues to lead the way in growth and development in Texas," said U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions. "The completion of Segment 3 of the East WilCo Highway is a testament to strong local leadership and smart infrastructure. I'm proud to celebrate this milestone and the positive impact it will have by creating further opportunity in our communities."
"With the tremendous growth and development in Williamson County, a safe and reliable transportation system has never been more important," said Marc Williams, TxDOT executive director. "As part of our commitment to connect you with Texas, we're making major roadway improvements to address safety and mobility in this area where the Samsung plant in Taylor is under construction."
East WilCo Highway Segment 3 is a part of the construction and development of a controlled-access roadway intended to improve north/south travel in eastern Williamson County, connecting south State Highway 130 at County Road 138 to U.S. 79 and continues to Interstate 35 north of Jarrell. East WilCo Highway Segment 3 opened to traffic on June 21, 2025.
