As part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s #EndtheStreak campaign, the TxDOT Austin District is expanding the existing pedestrian barrier along I-35 in Travis County.
“After installing the initial pedestrian barrier in 2020, the Austin District saw an 89% reduction in pedestrian fatalities within the project limits,” said TxDOT Austin district engineer Tucker Ferguson. “By expanding on our previous efforts, we want to continue building towards our goal of ending all deaths on Texas roads by 2050.”
In 2020, TxDOT constructed a two-foot panel on top of the center median concrete barrier along a nearly 3 ½-mile stretch of I-35 between 51st Street and Rundberg Lane. The latest project will add 21 miles of new barrier at multiple locations along I-35, including Greenlawn Boulevard to Rundberg Lane, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Lady Bird Lake, and Riverside Drive to SH 45 Southeast.
The pedestrian barrier is designed to be easily removeable by emergency personnel for access in the event of a crash. It will also help reduce headlight glare from oncoming traffic.
The total cost of the project is $3.5 million. Construction is expected to be complete in early 2023.
Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways.
