RM 620 to get improvements next month

Here's hoping that by the end of this summer, RM 620 will be a little less congested.

At least that's the thinking of Williamson County officials, who will be authorizing improvements next month to the heavily traveled road that serves as a major east-west thoroughfare in Round Rock.

The county is adding right turn lanes on RM 620 at the intersections of Wyoming Springs Drive, Oaklands Drive and Deepwood Drive.

The county is also adding signs near pedestrian crossings, Precinct 1 Commissioner Lisa Birkman said.

The improvements will cost about $780,000, financed by the county's $228 million road bond package that voters approved in 2006.

As growth has hit Williamson County in recent years, RM 620 is one of the roads that has suffered the most, with rush hour causing nearly standstill traffic in some areas.

Birkman said one of the first things she did when she took office in 2004 was to have engineers study the road because she had received so many complaints from constituents about traffic on RM 620.

The study determined that traffic on the road had about doubled in 10 years, she said. "So it's way over capacity."

The improvements will start in early June, and more improvements, such as additional left-turn lanes, are planned pending environmental studies, she said.

Georgetown to fog trees to kill bugs

If your normal jogging time is in the wee hours, you'd better pay attention to this next bit.

The City of Georgetown will be applying an insecticide Thermal Fogger to trees in neighborhoods and parks starting Friday.

The insecticide is meant to control mosquitoes and other insects during the summer, according to city officials.

It won't be applied on days when it is raining or when there is a wind of more than 10 mph, however.

The fogging will continue throughout the summer between midnight and 5 a.m. Here's the schedule for when and where it will be applied:

Tuesdays — Areas south of Texas 29

Wednesdays — Areas north of Texas 29 and east of Serenada Drive

Thursdays — Serenada, Berry Creek and Sun City neighborhoods

Fridays— San Gabriel Park, hike-and-bike trails and Blue Hole Park

City officials are asking residents to help with mosquito control by regularly removing standing water from containers on their lawns such as uncovered trash bins and flowerpot trays.