SH 130 is a four-lane, 91-mile toll road east and south of Austin designed to relieve congestion on the heavily traveled I-35, the primary north-south route through Central Texas. Segments 1-4 of SH 130 (which are part of the Central Texas Turnpike System that includes SH 45 North and Loop 1) were constructed as a separate project and opened in stages between November 2006 and April 2008.

On March 22, 2007, TxDOT signed a Comprehensive Development Agreement (CDA) with the SH 130 Concession Company to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain a 40-mile extension of SH 130 (Segments 5 and 6) under a 50-year concession from the date of opening. The extension follows the current US 183 alignment from north of Mustang Ridge to north of Lockhart and extends southwest to I-10 northeast of Seguin.

The SH 130 project is designed to provide much needed relief from the congestion on I-35. Segments 5 and 6 use an open-tolling system to ensure steady flow of traffic and prevent dangerous sudden stoppages, preventing potential collisions. By using TIFIA financing and utilizing the P3 delivery method, TxDOT estimates that it completed the project 20 years sooner than it would have through more conventional methods.