Beginning on November 18, 1947, FM 734 referred to a highway from Brady through Voca east to the Mason County line. On October 29, 1948, FM 734 extended east to FM 386, now RM 386. On May 28, 1952, the designation was extended to SH 29 near Llano over a portion of RM 386. On May 22, 1958, the route was rerouted in Voca, shortening its length by 0.1 miles. On April 30, 1959, the western terminus was relocated south south to 2.7 miles south of Brady, The former route was renumbered FM 2309. The road designation changed to Ranch to Market Road 734 in on March 16, 1961 and was rerouted south to 2.7 miles south of Brady. The designation was removed in September 1, 1965 when that highway was added to SH 71, but signage did not change until January 1, 1955. Parmer Lane between Loop 275 and Loop 1 was first designated as FM 734 on April 25, 1978. It extended north to RM 620 on April 23, 1981. The current termini of FM 734 were set on October 24, 1985, when the northern terminus was moved from RM 620 to RM 1431, and on May 16, 1988, when the southern terminus was moved from Loop 275 to US 290. In 1997, FM 734 was improved east of I-35 to accommodate a new Samsung Electronics chip fabrication facility. Other recent development along FM 734 include a Freescale Semiconductoroffice complex south of RM 620 in 1999, the Round Rock ISD Athletic Complex between RM 620 and RM 1431 in 2003 and the Tech Ridge shopping center at I-35 in 2003.
Route description
The southern terminus of FM 734 is at US 290, just west of Manor in Travis county. From there, it travels northwest to intersect with Interstate 35, continues to Loop 1, crosses SH-45 in Northwest Austin, then proceeds north to its northern terminus at RM 1431 in Cedar Park. The same roadway continues beyond RM 1431 as Ronald W. Reagan Boulevard, which travels northward into Leander, before curving eastward back to I-35 within the southern city limits of Jarrell. For most of its length, FM 734 is a six-lane divided roadway. West of Loop 1, the road has wide shoulders and is relatively lightly developed, making it attractive as a bicycling route. However, FM 734 does carry a high traffic load during rush hours, especially at Loop 1 and I-35. FM 734 is primarily a four-lane road between US 290 and Yager Lane, east of I-35. As of June 27, 1995, FM 734 is officially designated an Urban Road. However, as with most other Urban Roads in Texas, no signage changes have been made.
