AUSTIN, Texas – Touted as having the nation's fastest speed limit at 85 mph, drivers on Texas 130 were hitting bumps that are now being repaired.
"It's due to the soil, the nature of the soil that we built on. It's the clay within the soil," said Megan Compton, spokeswoman for SH 130 Concession, which operates and maintains the southern end of the toll road between Austin and Seguin.
Compton said clay contracts and expands depending on weather conditions.
She said they've gone from one of the state's worst droughts to periods of rain.
But she said only about 6 percent of the 41-mile stretch of toll road the company built and leased from the Texas Department of Transportation is affected.
Even so, drivers like Mike Sandoval said he noticed a lot of bumps.
"If you're going 85 mph, that can be dangerous if you're hitting a bump that big," Sandoval said.
Compton said work crews are using lime stabilization to offset the problem with the clay-laden soil.
She said about 50 percent of the $2.2 million project is done with completion expected this summer.
Compton said the cost is covered by the company, not taxpayers.
"That sounds pretty good," Sandoval said.
But he said the toll road is fairly new.
Texas 130 opened in 2012.
Compton said SH 130 Concessions will continue to monitor road conditions as part of its yearly inspection and maintenance.
She said drivers can track temporary road closures on the Texas 130 website.