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Let's talk I-35: Part 1


In the 1950s, before the construction of I-35, the land on which it sits today was a green boulevard named East Avenue, with small frontage streets on either side providing access to single-family homes.


Written by: Ryan Saunders



What's the latest?



My motivation for writing this comes with the vote that will go before City Council next week in regard to whether or not the city is going to pay TXDOT to build the "roadway elements, which are the underlying structures necessary to support the highway decks. The roadway elements for all eight caps would cost $284 million, according to TxDOT estimates (Per reporting by KUT news: https://www.kut.org/transportation/2024-11-20/austin-tx-i-35-caps-expansion-cost-estimates-soar)


There are a lot of numbers, project names, advocacy groups and municipal agencies being thrown around in various articles, press releases and community information sessions so I decided to separate this out into 3 parts.


Part 1 which you are reading now, is the overview of the past, present and future of I-35 Capital Express Central Project (section of I-35 that is approximately 8 miles along I-35 between US 290 East and SH 71/Ben White Boulevard.)

Part 2: A deep dive on all things "Caps and Stitch"

Part 3: The Decision (No, Lebron James isn't announcing he will be playing WR for the Dallas Cowboys next year) whether the City Council is going to approve the funding for all caps and stitches totaling around 26.5 acres of green space featuring an assortment of amenities)

*I will most likely be keeping these articles open for updates as I continue to research and fill in the blanks, as there is a lot of information over years to sort through to tell the full story


See the link below for updated presentation City Staff presented to Council in a work session before the Thanksgiving holiday which has spurred up a bit of chaos and uncertainty as to if Council will approve the spending for the full cap build, reduced cap sizes or none at all. It is important to note that the vote on Dec 12 , a deadline set by TXDOT is a now or never, meaning there is not an option to say no now and then retroactively come back later and build the infrastructure for the caps. So I want to make it clear that I am in support of Council voting to fully fund the caps at a full 26.5 acres including the full originally designed 8 caps.


The change that has shifted the conversation about the plans is the total cost of caps when they reach their full potential which could be 10 years or more in the future. Original cost estimate increased from $868 million to $1.4 billion




Summary of the Project


  • The I-35 Capital Express Central project is located in the central region of the Austin metropolitan area at a length of approximately 8 miles along I-35 between US 290 East and SH 71/Ben White Boulevard.

  • Improvements include removing the existing I-35 decks, lowering the roadway, and adding two non-tolled high-occupancy vehicle managed lanes in each direction along I-35 from US 290 East to SH 71/Ben White Boulevard. The project will also reconstruct east-west cross-street bridges, add pedestrian and bicycle paths, and make additional safety and mobility improvements within the project limits.

  • Project development funded by TxDOT and Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization

  • Construction cost: $4.5 billion (currently listed on TXDOT website)


Key Elements that I think are important to note


-At Woodland Avenue, cars will no longer be able to cross I-35. A 75-foot-wide pedestrian and bike bridge will be built instead

-TxDOT is attempting to spruce up the look of the new highway with what it calls the CapEx Central Aesthetics Design Program. The state agency held public meetings and proposed ideas. Employees are incorporating some of that feedback, so final decisions haven't been made.

For the Oltorf Street bridge, different aesthetic scenarios were floated at a public meeting in January 2023. The concepts included benches, shade, landscaping and an "art wall." We'll see more of these proposals throughout this walkthrough


-Freeway lanes along the entire I-35 CapEx Central project would narrow. Main lanes would be 11-feet wide instead of their current width of 12 feet. Managed lanes would also be 11-feet wide. TxDOT says it's doing this so it won't have to take more land than the 54 acres already being expropriated.


-Make north- and southbound frontage roads run side-by-side through downtown and much of the UT area.


-Add more than 20 miles of "shared-use paths," which are basically 8-to-10-feet-wide sidewalks that often include a 2-foot-wide curb. (Shared Use Path – typically 10-feet wide paved or unpaved surface meant for use by a variety of types of non-motorized travelers. All Mobility Authority shared use paths are paved and are in the right of way adjacent to our roadway projects.)


-At Riverside Drive, TxDOT plans to build something called a "single-point urban interchange" or SPUI (pronounced SPOO-ee). A SPUI allows all left-hand turns to be controlled by a single traffic signal and can move certain types of traffic more quickly. TxDOT says pedestrians will have to cross underneath Riverside Drive, renderings show a tunnel or walkway.


-TxDOT is planning to build the Riverside Drive interchange with space for Austin's planned light-rail line

-The I-35 project includes building a new bridge over Lady Bird Lake. On both sides of the bridge, the pedestrian paths would be lower than the highway lanes.


-More than an acre of Waller Beach will be used for long-term construction staging. Some of Edward Rendon Park will be used, too, but for less than six months.


After the project is done, TxDOT will own the 1.3 acres of Waller Beach. The state has vowed to return the property to parkland, but will close the area for bridge maintenance when needed.

The change means the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail will be detoured for at least six years to East Avenue, which runs under I-35.



Timeline (2008-Present)


2008- Texas Transportation Commission creates the I-35 Corridor Advisory Committee to increase community participation in the transportation planning process


2011- the City of Austin began Mobility35 efforts in August 2011 with a focus on Travis County. The city sought to develop a plan that focused on short- to mid-term strategies within the existing right-of-way to improve mobility and connectivity for all modes of transportation, including pedestrians, bicycles, autos, transit, trucks and emergency vehicles.


2012-TxDOT launches the I-35 Future Transportation Corridor Planning and Environmental Linkages Study (PEL). A PEL study fosters a collaborative and integrated transportation decision-making process. A PEL study is generally executed early in the transportation planning process when decisionmakers consider environmental, community, and economic goals.


  • What is a Planning and Environmental Linkages Study? A PEL study fosters a collaborative and integrated transportation decision-making process. A PEL study is generally executed early in the transportation planning process when decisionmakers consider environmental, community, and economic goals.


    Many PEL studies can be classified as corridor or subarea studies because they are more focused than regional planning efforts typically conducted by a metropolitan planning organization (MPO), but broader than traditional project-specific environmental analyses conducted during the NEPA process (National Environmental Policy Act)


2013-2014- Downtown Stakeholder Working Group forms, led by State Senator Kirk Watson, the former mayor of Austin. Two alternatives are considered for the project, each proposing to add one tolled lane in each direction. Alternative 1 calls for modifying the existing configuration, while Alternative 2 calls for lowering the mainlanes and managed lanes.


TxDOT releases the I-35 Capital Area Improvement Program Corridor Implementation Plan for Travis County.


2014- TxDOT hosts the I-35 Capital Express Central Design Charrette to solicit input from stakeholders regarding previously developed concepts, including a plan to construct another upper deck on top of existing upper decks. More than 30 concepts were proposed over the course of the charrette.


2016-2017 - TxDOT determines two managed lanes in each direction are feasible if the decks are removed. TxDOT hosts a Capital Express Central project open house.


2019  the Downtown Austin Alliance saw a key opportunity to improve Austin when TxDOT proposed a $3.4 billion expansion of I-35 through Central Austin. The Downtown Austin Alliance commissioned the Urban Land Institute’s Advisory Services Program—made up of experts in real estate, land use, planning and development—to provide holistic recommendations to reconstruct the highway.


2024-Our Future 35 Public Input programming kicked off with first open house being held at Austin Community College Highland Campus

*OurFuture35 public survey ran from May 10-August 2


2024-Spring- City officials have already secured a $105.2 million federal grant in March for the program, as well as submitted a $193 million loan request with the State Infrastructure Bank for additional funds.


2024-November-City Staff revealed updated cost estimates for caps with a 61% increase for full buildout of all caps from $868 million to $1.4 Million


2026-Future-Bond election is planned for 2026 which would most likely be asking to cover at least a portion of this projects estimated construction costs


Screenshot from the I-35 Future Corridor Planning and Environmental Linkages Study. Showing traffic lane configuration options

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