AUSTIN, Texas — On Tuesday, it was revealed a bond election could be part of the equation to make major changes to Interstate 35 in Central Austin.
On Tuesday morning, the Austin City Council got a briefing on plans for the I-35 "cap and stitch" project, which will lower I-35 in Central Austin and put "caps" on top of the highway. Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) renderings show what the finished product would look like.
City staff told council members a number of funding sources will be needed to make the project happen, including a possible bond election in 2026. That would allow voters to weigh in on whether the city should be able to borrow money for the project, but nothing is set in stone yet.
On Thursday, the city council will consider a resolution that would start the process to get a $193 million state infrastructure bank loan for part of the project.
Last week, Austin received a $105 million federal grant for the project.
Councilmember Vanessa Fuentes said she wants to make sure the project results in as many caps and stitches on the highway as possible.
"You know, we know that this project, the expansion and renovation of I-35, is a generational project," she said. "Certainly, if we're asking Austinites to go through a decade of traffic delays in construction, we want to make sure that we take the time to get it right."
Over the next few months, the city will take feedback from the public on the plans.
Boomtown is KVUE's series covering the explosive growth in Central Texas. For more Boomtown stories, head to KVUE.com/Boomtown.