Which is the easier way out of Northwest Hills toward Loop 360 this fall, Spicewood Springs Road or RM 2222? Both have barrels, both are being rebuilt, and much of the money for both comes from the same fund, the 2016 Mobility Bond. But the two projects are run by different agencies on different schedules, and their finish dates are about two years apart. A third Loop 360 project could begin as early as 2029, right where Spicewood Springs Road reaches the highway.
For anyone who drives west every morning, the schedule matters as much as the barrels.
Three Projects, One Edge
| Project | Who builds it | Cost | Construction start | Current finish target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spicewood Springs Road, Loop 360 to Mesa Drive | City of Austin | $31 million | December 2023 | Summer 2027 |
| Loop 360 at Courtyard Drive/RM 2222 | TxDOT | $68.4 million | April 2026 | Late 2029 |
| Loop 360 at Lakewood Drive/Spicewood Springs Road | TxDOT | Not yet funded | As early as 2029 | Not announced |
The city's Spicewood Springs project draws its $31 million from the 2016 Mobility Bond's Regional Mobility Program. Community Impact reported that the $68.4 million RM 2222 project is funded by TxDOT and the same 2016 bond. That shared funding is about the only thing the two projects have in common. They have different contractors, different work hours, and finish dates about two years apart.
Spicewood Springs: The Clock That Slipped
The city's widening runs along Spicewood Springs Road from Loop 360 to Mesa Drive. The project page lists design cross-sections for addresses from about 4400 to 5154 Spicewood Springs Road. Construction started in December 2023.
The target used to be late 2026. Community Impact reported in September that weather delays had pushed substantial completion to summer 2027. Here is the city's own August 11, 2026 update:
"Weather-related delays throughout spring and early summer 2026 have pushed the project's substantial completion to summer 2027. Starting in September, work will be underway on shared-use pathways on both sides of Spicewood Springs Road. Crews will also continue work on rain gardens and paving of the travel lanes in fall 2026."
So the work this October is mostly the finishing parts of the road: the paths along both sides, the rain gardens that handle stormwater, and paving of the travel lanes. The build alternative was chosen in a December 2018 preliminary engineering report, and the project reached 100% design in April 2023. The plan calls for two vehicle lanes in each direction, a raised median with left-turn bays, a shared-use path on both sides of the road, and new stormwater facilities. The full plan also includes two detention ponds and upgraded storm drain, water transmission, and wastewater lines under the road.
The work hours on the city page matter for daily planning. City crews work weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. On weekdays, that leaves the main commuting hours outside the work window. On weekends, crews can be out from morning to evening.
RM 2222: The Clock That Just Started
On RM 2222, TxDOT is on a much longer schedule. According to Community Impact, officials broke ground on the Loop 360 at Courtyard Drive/RM 2222 project on April 29, 2026. TxDOT expects to finish in late 2029, and the contractor is Webber.
The goal is to take the traffic signal off the Loop 360 mainlanes at Courtyard Drive by building a grade separation, and to rebuild the RM 2222 junction as a diverging diamond interchange. Shared-use paths and sidewalks run throughout. The TxDOT project page splits the work into four phases:
- Set up the work zone, build waterlines, and excavate the cliffs.
- Build new northbound and southbound connector roads, drainage, braided ramps, and the Courtyard Drive bridge, and start the shared-use paths.
- Build the RM 2222 diverging diamond and finish the shared-use paths.
- Do final paving and striping, then open the permanent traffic patterns.
In May, Community Impact reported that Phase 1, the waterlines and cliff excavation, was complete and that the connector roads and Courtyard bridge came next. TxDOT's page doesn't say which phase is underway as of October. The diverging diamond, the part that will change how people drive the 2222 junction, doesn't start until Phase 3.
The TxDOT page also shows a new traffic pattern at RM 2222, with a map dated August 31, 2026. The eastbound RM 2222 entrance ramp to southbound Loop 360 is listed as closing, and drivers are told to turn right at the RM 2222 signal to reach southbound 360. The northbound Loop 360 exit ramp to RM 2222 is listed with three lanes: left turn only, left turn or straight, and right turn only. The same page currently says there are no lane closures. It doesn't give an effective date for the ramp change or say whether the closure is permanent, so check the posted signs at the interchange before relying on any one version.
TxDOT's work hours are wider than the city's on Spicewood Springs. Crews work weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays as needed from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. TxDOT warns that neighbors may notice more noise, vibration, and dust during excavation and night work. So on a weekday morning commute, crews may be working at RM 2222 while Spicewood Springs is still outside its work window.
Where the Two Clocks Meet
When the city finishes Spicewood Springs in summer 2027, the new road will end at a Loop 360 junction that TxDOT plans to rebuild next. The Lakewood Drive/Spicewood Springs Road segment of Loop 360 has been environmentally cleared, but utilities have to be relocated first and the segment depends on funding. TxDOT says construction could start "as early as 2029." If that happens, the start would overlap the final year of the RM 2222 work, which TxDOT expects to finish in late 2029.
TxDOT's Westlake Drive/Cedar Street segment, south on Loop 360, shows what a later phase looks like. New mainlanes there opened on August 30, 2026. One mainlane in each direction now lets drivers stay left and bypass the Westlake Drive and Cedar Street signals, while drivers going to those streets exit to the right. Phases 2 through 4 are still listed as ongoing there. Permanent traffic patterns come in Phase 5, with completion expected in late 2026, weather permitting. Overnight closures on the connector roads are still on that segment's schedule. That segment broke ground well before RM 2222, and it's still months away from its final layout.
So the schedule for Northwest Hills' western edge looks like this. Spicewood Springs gets its finished four-lane road in summer 2027. RM 2222 gets its diverging diamond in late 2029. The Spicewood Springs junction at Loop 360 may be back under construction as early as 2029, if funding comes through.
What's Past the Barrels
Neither project closes the places these roads lead to, though the way in will keep shifting. Bull Creek District Park sits at 6701 Lakewood Dr. The city lists park hours as 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily unless otherwise posted. The County Line on the Lake is still listed at 5204 FM 2222 on its official site, with weekly hours posted. TxDOT's project page doesn't give specific access instructions for either one. In practice, a trip to the park or a dinner on 2222 goes through whichever traffic pattern is in place that week.
New places are also opening elsewhere in Northwest Austin. Community Impact reported that JETSET Pilates opened at the Arboretum, 10000 Research Blvd., Ste. 124, and held its full-opening celebration on October 3. Tumble 22, a hot-chicken restaurant with a full bar, plans to open November 7 at 9761 Great Hills Trail, Ste. B, according to Community Impact.
For anyone in Northwest Hills planning a renovation, a sale, or just next summer's routine around these dates, Local Color Realty Group keeps up with what Spicewood Springs and RM 2222 are doing each season, and we're happy to go over it with you.
