AUSTIN, Texas — Plans for a $4.5 billion expansion of Interstate 35, through the heart of Austin, are being revised once again.
Plans for the expansion, which have been at the center of controversy since their inception, now include the additions of sectioned covering north of Downtown Austin, a new $25 million boardwalk along Lady Bird Lake and a tunneling mechanism that would filter runoff from storm water into the Colorado River.
The new expansion details were outlined in a letter sent from Mayor Kirk Watson in July to advocates who aim to limit, or downright halt, the project. Watson was pivotal in securing the project's funding when he served in the Texas Senate.
A trio of Austin City Council members posted Watson's letter online, voicing their concerns about the expansion plan while advocating for pedestrian safety, air quality and water filtration improvements.
As part of the expansion, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) intends to add two "managed lanes" for vehicles carrying multiple passenger passengers from Ben White Boulevard to U.S. 290 East. The upper decks north of downtown are set to be demolished and bridges crossing the interstate will be rebuilt and made wider to include more pedestrian space.
TxDOT's plans include lowering the main lanes for much of the distance between Oltorf Street and Airport Boulevard. The City hopes to cover these lowered portions of the highway with "caps," which are essentially large decks that could support buildings at least two stories tall. TxDOT has said it won't pay for the caps but will engineer the interstate in such a way to allow for their installation.
TxDOT is also set to install the aforementioned new $500 million drainage system, which would essentially be comprised of a tunnel under Cesar Chavez Street that would direct storm water runoff into the Colorado River near US183.
The new $25 million boardwalk would stretch between South Congress Avenue and South First Street along Lady Bird Lake. The intention behind the proposed boardwalk's construction comes as a replacement for other parkland federally protected that has been lost.
Construction on the new expansion is expected to start in early 2024, with the long-term project expected to last until at least 2032.
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