The first dozen shovels of dignitary dirt were thrown Wednesday morning, officially marking the beginning of converting U.S. Route 290 east of Austin into a combination toll road and non-tolled road.

"We're very excited to be bringing our next project to you guys for the benefit of central Texas. We feel like this is a very important project. It connects [the] 130 [toll road] and I-35," Mike Heiligenstein, Executive Director of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority said at the official groundbreaking ceremony.

According to information provided by the CTRMA, the project will cost about $193-million to make the massive upgrades between what will eventually be a stack interchange between U.S. 290 and U.S. 183 and where the first phase of the project will end, at Chimney Rock Road near Springdale Road.

"We think that this is going to help with our connectivity to 130. You can see that this is a heavily-trafficked road," Ray Wilkerson, CTRMA Board Chair said. "This is kind of a beginning of a process of building interconnectors that will make such a substantial impact on this region."

Part of the project was funded by money under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (stimulus), to the tune of roughly $90-million.

"The Manor Expressway interchange was one of a few shovel-ready projects that was available to us in this area," Wilkerson said.

The project will eventually extend east to Parmer Lane and will also provide an upgraded hurricane evacuation route out of southeast Texas. Phase one is set to be complete in two years.