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The final link on the SH 45 Loop chain is approaching a roadblock.

Travis County Commissioners have asked Hays County Commissioners to halt the State Highway 45 expansion project, which would create a 3.5-mile stretch connecting I-35 to FM 1626, feeding South Mopac.

Travis County Commissioners said they haven't been part of the discussion, citing the impact that the "missing link" would have on the area's traffic and growth.

"Making the connection from I-35 to FM 1626 would effectively make Mopac an I-35 bypass, dramatically increasing vehicular and truck traffic," the letter read. "The traffic impacts of this decision by Hays County would have a profound and detrimental effect almost entirely on Austin and Travis County."

Commissioners also cited environmental concerns. With traffic increasing on Balcones Canyonlands Preserve lands, City of Austin Water Quality Protection lands, the Edwards Aquifer and endangered species habitat, Travis County said the area's water quality and environment are at greater risk.

But Hays County has a different perspective. Around 40% of the county's residents work in Austin, while around 20% of Texas State University's commuters come from Austin. To access Mopac, many of those metro residents rely on FM 1626—a two-lane rural roadway—to go to school or work, causing congestion in the South Austin neighborhood of Shady Hollow.

“What it will do is relieve the pressure on 1626, and some of these in some of the eastern parts of the county that will have that connection between 1626 and 35,” Hays County Commissioner Mark Jones told KXAN.

Travis County expressed concerns that the area would experience rapid growth if the 3.5-mile stretch is built. Citing Hays County's 60% growth from 2000 to 2010 and a Texas Transportation Institute study, the county said growth has already occurred. Now, they say it's time to play catch-up.

"SH 45 can be built with access restrictions that limit sprawl along the roadway. It can be built with all of the environmental protections our ingenuity can contrive. It can be built with all the associated green space, landscaping, and neighborhood protections we desire. But it must be built," Hays County's website said.

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra said he hopes to discuss the move between the courts and hear from the community. Becerra also said the Travis County letter will be discussed at the next Hays County Commissioners' Court meeting.

The operators behind ATX Cocina are serving up more Mexican dishes with the recent opening of Bulevar in Northwest Austin, featuring wood-grilled meats and plenty of drinks.

Partners Larry Foles and Guy Villavaso have teamed up again for a restaurant with a variety of "masa, meat and margs." The menu has appetizers like machete and queso and dinner dishes that include duck mole, roast chicken and wood-grilled meats like a Berkshire Tomahawk pork chop.

Kevin Taylor, the executive chef at Bulevar, noted that he was raised in a family-operated Mexican kitchen and learned to cook with locals during trips to Mexico. Bulevar's masa is even made in-house from Oaxacan corn sourced by Masiena.

"Each dish on the Bulevar menu is a combination of what my travels have taught me, my upbringing in a Mexican kitchen and my inspiration from the legends of Mexican cuisine,” Taylor said in a press release.

Located at 9400 Arboretum Blvd., the building was once the site of Z’Tejas, which will close its original location on West 6th Street to make way for a new MML Hospitality development.

Happy hour at Bulevar is from 4-6:30 p.m. with a bar that has 150 mezcal and tequilas from Mexican distilleries on top of other spirits and wine.

The restaurant, which includes a large wood-fired grill and sunset views, is open daily for dinner until 10 p.m. Brunch and lunch services are expected to begin soon.

Eggersmann usa brings their European design experience to Austin. (eggersmann usa)

You’ve found your dream home. Now it’s time to design your space.

Let eggersmann make your dreams come true. Not only are their products custom-crafted to last a lifetime, but their team of professional designers, installers, and care specialists are there to assist you from the ideation to the implementation of your gorgeous and highly functional space.

A family-owned business, eggersmann offers modern design solutions for every room in your home and they’ve had a hand in the design of many of the most beautiful homes in Texas, including right here in ATX.

A downtown condo. A house on the lake. South Austin style. All are perfect for eggersmann’s design solutions.

If you’re not sure where to begin, eggersmann has plenty of inspiration to get you started.

Kitchens are living spaces that invite us to indulge our senses; places that help us bond and are the heart of the modern home.

Eggersmann’s modern German kitchens and home living solutions are distinguished not only by unique stone cabinet fronts and exotic veneers, but also technological feats in cabinetry composition and ergonomics like handleless cabinets and motion sliding countertops.

Their ideas spring from over 100 years of experience. Ever since Wilhelm Eggersmann founded this company in 1908, the now global team insists only the best will do and that every kitchen should be as individual as its owner.

Beyond the closet, eggersmann brings soul to your wardrobe.

Tailor made in every aspect, personalize your space to make dressing and attire a special occasion. With innovative design solutions like hidden safes, watch-winders, and other accessory storage that will make the organizationally-obsessed squeal with delight, eggersmann’s team of designers can help you to create a closet you’ll want to spend all day in.

Create modern, beautiful spaces that motivate you to play and socialize. Host the next grand celebration or relax and relieve the tensions of your day. Eggersmann’s entertainment solutions focus on how you live and how you entertain.

Need a TV for a family movie night but prefer something besides a black screen when you’re entertaining? Eggersmann’s remote-controlled lifting technology allows you to do just that. What about design solutions that keep a bustling household organized? Eggersmann makes it all possible.

To learn more about the exceptional luxury cabinetry, exotic durable finishes, and innovative solutions, you may visit one of 6 eggersmann showrooms in the US, one of its retail locations in Canada, Mexico, or the US including Hawaii, or call to make an appointment with the satellite design service here in Austin where a knowledgeable representative will meet you at your home, office, or location of your choice.

The eggersmann team works directly with homeowners to bring their dream spaces into reality or with your interior designer, architect, or builder. They also have extensive experience working with high-rise/multi-unit developers or condo owners.