Loop 360's Westlake Signals Are Gone, and the Work Zone Has Moved North

On Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, the Texas Department of Transportation opened one new Loop 360 mainlane in each direction at Westlake Drive and Cedar Street. That took through traffic out from under the two signals that had set the pace of this stretch for years. The new lanes run under both cross streets in underpasses, which was the whole point of a project that started construction in June 2022.

A TxDOT traffic map dated the next day, Aug. 31, shows the next job up the road already changing ramps. At RM 2222, the eastbound entrance ramp to southbound Loop 360 is closed, and the northbound exit has new lane assignments. That project is scheduled to run until late 2029. For anyone who lives off Westlake Drive and drives north on 360, the barrels haven't gone away. They've moved a few exits up the road, with about three more years of work ahead of them.

How the new Westlake Drive and Cedar Street layout works

For now the new mainlanes carry one lane each way, and the left lane is the one that matters. TxDOT's directions boil down to a short set of moves:

1. Passing through on 360: Stay in the left lane. It drops under Westlake Drive and Cedar Street, so there are no signals.
2. Getting to Westlake Drive or Cedar Street: Exit right onto the connector road, which still serves both cross streets.
3. Turning around: Use the nonsignalized U-turns on the Westlake Drive bridge, which give access to both northbound and southbound 360.

KXAN reported from TxDOT's release that the southbound U-turn south of Bold Ruler Way stays open as well.

Long-time drivers will remember an older pattern. The U-turns that moved to the Westlake Drive bridge replaced a pair of double U-turns. One was near Cedar Street and the other near the Shell Refuel Gas station at 3310 N. Capital of Texas Hwy. Community Impact reported both closed in August 2025, when the Westlake Drive bridge opened and reconnected the east and west sides of this stretch. TxDOT's June 2025 construction information sheet puts the cost of the Westlake Drive and Cedar Street project at $72.1 million, funded by TxDOT and the City of Austin.

What's still unfinished between Bold Ruler Way and Pennybacker Bridge

The opening was a milestone, not the finish. TxDOT lists five phases for this project. The fifth, final paving and striping followed by the switch to permanent traffic patterns, hasn't started. The page still lists the earlier phases as ongoing, including the shared-use paths that are part of the design. TxDOT hasn't announced an opening date for those paths, so walking or biking along this part of 360 is still a wait-and-see question. The contractor is Copasa Group, and TxDOT's completion estimate is late 2026, weather permitting.

Until then, the work keeps its own hours. Excavation on the mainlanes between Bold Ruler Way and Pennybacker Bridge runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Hauling happens at night. Overnight lane closures are still part of the rhythm. The closure posted for the last week of September took the left lane of the connector road between Pennybacker Bridge and the Shell station from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Closures like that come and go weekly, and TxDOT's project page is the place to check before a late drive home.

Once the final striping is down, don't expect more lanes. TxDOT's own FAQ says its 2016 feasibility study found more benefit in removing signals first. Adding a pair of lanes is described as something future projects "may include," with possible flyover connections to US 183 and south MoPac. TxDOT also notes that the Pennybacker Bridge can carry six continuous lanes, but the current projects don't add them.

Two exits north, the next project is just getting started

The Courtyard Drive and RM 2222 project uses the same approach as Westlake Drive, with more pieces. It will remove the mainlane signal at Courtyard Drive by building an underpass, rebuild RM 2222 at Loop 360 as a diverging diamond interchange, and add shared-use paths and sidewalks. Community Impact covered the April 29 groundbreaking. The contractor is Webber.

The ramp changes that took effect around Aug. 31 are the first ones most Westlake drivers will run into:

• From eastbound RM 2222 to southbound 360: The entrance ramp is closed. Turn right at the RM 2222 signal instead.
• From northbound 360 to RM 2222: The exit ramp's lanes are now left turn only, left turn or straight, and right turn only.

TxDOT has laid out four phases for the work:

• Phase 1: Set up the work zone, build waterlines and excavate cliffs.
• Phase 2: Build new connector roads, drainage, braided ramps and the Courtyard Drive bridge, and start the shared-use paths.
• Phase 3: Build the RM 2222 diverging diamond and finish the shared-use paths.
• Phase 4: Final paving and striping, then permanent traffic patterns.

The hours differ a little from the Westlake job. Construction runs 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, plus Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. as needed. TxDOT warns that neighbors and businesses may notice more noise, vibration and dust during excavation and night work. The two projects also share Pennybacker Bridge as a boundary. During the same late-September window, 360 between Pennybacker Bridge and RM 2222 was cut to one lane overnight.

Compare the timelines. Westlake Drive and Cedar Street went from groundbreaking in June 2022 to an expected finish in late 2026. Courtyard Drive and RM 2222 broke ground in April 2026 and is expected to finish in late 2029. Westlake drivers heading north are starting another multi-year job, and this one began before the last one wrapped up.

Why the order changed, and why that matters south of Westlake Drive

TxDOT's FAQ lays out the order the corridor was supposed to follow. Westlake Drive and Cedar Street would go first, then Lakewood Drive and Spicewood Springs Road, then Courtyard Drive and RM 2222, then MoPac to RM 2244. Intersections were ranked by congestion, and the City of Austin's 2016 Mobility Bond funded work at Westlake Drive, Lakewood Drive, Spicewood Springs Road and Courtyard Drive.

Courtyard ended up second. Lakewood and Spicewood Springs cleared environmental review in summer 2023, but utilities have to be relocated first, and construction depends on funding. TxDOT now expects it to start "as early as 2029." So the signals at Lakewood will likely still be there when the Courtyard work wraps up.

For Westlake, the project that matters most is RM 2244, the Bee Caves Road intersection. TxDOT is still evaluating a possible diverging diamond there, and the page says the project "will move forward when additional funding becomes available." The longer MoPac-to-RM 2244 segment also depends on funding.

Here's the current status of each Loop 360 project close to Westlake:

On a drive from Westlake to RM 2222 this fall, there are no signals at Westlake Drive or Cedar Street. North of Pennybacker Bridge, the drive runs through an active work zone with changed ramps that is scheduled to stay in place until late 2029. South toward Bee Caves Road, the interchange has no construction date at all.

If you're weighing a home along the Loop 360 corridor, whether you're selling and want to explain the commute honestly or buying and want to know what the drive will look like in 2027 and 2028, I'm glad to go through these timelines with you street by street. As a CPA and former mortgage loan officer, I care about getting the details right before anyone commits. If that would help, visit Judith Bundschuh and let's connect.