Population growth and development fuel an increase in toll transactions
(Austin) – A private company that operates and maintains a 41-mile section of the state-owned, SH 130 is sharing what says is continuous growth along the southern half of the road which begins or ends in Seguin.
SH 130 Concession Company Officials say passenger and heavy truck traffic along the southern section of State Highway 130 between Austin and San Antonio increased 17 percent year-over-year to reach an all-time high in 2022.
SH 130 Concession Co. last year recorded more than 11.42 million transactions on SH 130 between Austin and San Antonio.
Despite the increase in traffic, they said the number of crashes decreased to only 30 crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) – the best safety report on SH 130 since 2018 and lower than the statewide averages for similar roadways.
“This region has become a hub of manufacturing investment and economic development, with SH 130 serving as a critical transportation artery,” said SH 130 Concession Co. President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Billows. “Yet despite the continued, rapid growth, SH 130 remains congestion-free and one of the safest highways in Texas.”
Overall traffic along the roadway increased 47 percent since 2019, fueled by population growth and development, both directly along the SH 130 corridor and in the Austin and San Antonio metro areas.
Heavy truck traffic increased significantly during this period, surging 68 percent during the last four years, including a 26 percent gain in 2022 alone.
Company officials say the increase in heavy traffic is partially due to a sharp uptick in industrial and manufacturing development all along the SH 130 corridor since 2020, including mega projects such as the $1 billion Tesla Gigafactory that opened last year, and the $17 billion Samsung semiconductor plant now under construction in the Austin suburb of Taylor just east of SH 130.
Tesla, which already employs 10,000 workers at its Gigafactory, recently filed plans with the State of Texas to invest more than $700 million to expand its operations in the area.
While mega industrial projects have so far developed along the northern sections of the toll road that are operated and maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation, officials say development has also increased directly along the more rural, privately operated southern section of SH 130. They say this includes the communities of Lockhart and Seguin, which have recently attracted millions of dollars in investment for new or expanding manufacturing facilities and distribution centers, in addition to significantly more residential development.
The SH 130 Concession Co. operates and maintains Segments 5 & 6 of SH 130 from Mustang Ridge to Seguin, Texas. The 41-mile section of the toll road immediately south of Austin offers a speed limit of 85 MPH. The road is owned by the State of Texas, which has leased the facility to SH 130 Concession Co. until 2062.