The Texas Department of Transportation is moving forward with the I-35 Capital Express Program, and construction could cause traffic delays around Austin.
With the upcoming University of Texas football season and summer concerts on many people’s calendars, drivers can expect increased commute times, road closures and detours in a city that was recently ranked in the 20 most congested places in the United States.
The Interstate 35 expansion program — which has been in the planning stages since 2019 — outlines three projects that would add managed lanes and reconstruct six bridges on northern, central and southern routes around the city.
Proposed improvements focus on 28 miles of I-35 between State Highway 45 North and State Highway 45 Southeast, according to TxDOT plans. The program’s goal, the department said, is to relieve congestion on Texas roads.
“Keep in mind there is construction that’s going on, and it’s gonna last a few years,” Hodges said. “We will have impacts from time to time on things, but where we can control that we do. So we’re very mindful of our closures during highly-trafficked events.”
TxDOT officials broke ground on the $660 million northern portion of the project in April, planning to add one non-tolled high-occupancy-vehicle managed lane in each direction along I-35 from Highway 45 North to U.S. Highway 290 East.
Work on the southern portion of the program began last fall, with TxDOT planning to build two non-tolled managed lanes along the interstate. The southern project is valued at $584 million.
Through four phases of construction, high-occupancy vehicle lanes between State Highway 71/Ben White Boulevard and Slaughter Lane will be elevated, according to TxDOT plans. A bypass lane between Stassney Lane and William Cannon Drive is also set to ease east-west travel and add new shared-use pedestrian and bicycle paths.
TxDOT plans that construction on the northern and southern portions of the Capital Express program will be completed within the decade.
Central project construction is scheduled to break ground around mid-2024, according to TxDOT, and is currently undergoing environmental study and schematic design.
As expansion construction moves forward, Hodges said, drivers should pay close attention to posted signs and any changes in traffic.
Texas drivers can check updated information on traffic and I-35 closures at my35construction.org.
