AUSTIN, Texas — Austin's Interstate 35 expansion project is closer to becoming a reality, with construction set for 2024.
But Austinites and local leaders against the expansion are doing what they can to show the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) why they think it's a bad idea.
On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of people gathered at Sanchez Elementary School in East Austin chanting, "Wider won't work!" and holding up signs such as "Our future is not freeways" and "Cities are for good transit."
Advocates expressed that the project will have environmental and generational impacts and will bring more traffic congestion in the future.
"We should be making our community more safe, but this expansion will make our city more dangerous," said U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-Austin), who was one of the speakers at the rally.
The $4.5 billion project has been on and off for years. It will displace more than 50 businesses, along with houses and apartments in the path of the highway. TxDOT sent out a 90-day notice in August.
The rally comes after city council members approved a resolution on Oct. 19 asking TxDOT to pump the breaks on the project and strategize on additional climate plans. In a statement to KVUE on that date, a TxDOT spokesperson explained the repercussions if there was a delay in the project:
"We acted in good faith to bring our partners into the planning of this critical safety and mobility project. Delaying all the great work so many have done getting to this point is unwarranted and only delays the benefits that will be realized and would be fiscally irresponsible as construction costs will only continue to rise."
During the public portion of the Oct. 19 council meeting, Jeff Howard with the Downtown Austin Alliance shared his stance on why he is against the delay.
"The new TxDOT project while not perfect is vastly superior and I believe is the only viable alternative to the existing failed I-35 [highway]," Howard said.
In a release from several business groups opposed to the delay, President and CEO of the Downtown Austin Alliance Dewitt Peart added:
“Pausing action on this highway improvement project, which will take years, will result in more of what we currently have: a highly congested, unsafe barrier between East and West Austin. For years, our community has worked together on this process to reconnect Austin in a safe, sustainable and forward-looking manner.”
The business groups included the Austin Area Research Organization, the Downtown Austin Alliance, the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Opportunity Austin and the Real Estate Council of Austin.
During the rally, Executive Director of Save Our Springs Alliance Bill Bunch hinted toward taking legal action to halt the project.
"We need the Austin school board with us and we need their names as co-plaintiffs with the community," Bunch said. "Our community is at a tipping point and we have to fight this to the bitter end."
Austin Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis (District 8), as well as Councilmembers Zo Qadri (District 9) and Jose Velásquez (District 3) were also at the rally to show support in opposition of widening I-35.
Boomtown is KVUE's series covering the explosive growth in Central Texas. For more Boomtown stories, head to KVUE.com/Boomtown.