The Texas Department of Transportation has released the I-35 Capital Express Central project draft environmental impact statement, which identifies the preferred build alternative for the eight-mile stretch of road between 290 and Ben White.
“I-35 through downtown Austin is the 3rd most congested highway segment in Texas,” TxDOT says. “With the regional population expected to double by 2045, improvements to the aging infrastructure are needed to mitigate congestion and enhance mobility.”
According to the TxDOT statement released this week, the preferred alternative, known as “Modified-Build Alternative 3”, proposes to add two non-tolled high-occupancy-vehicle managed lanes in each direction along I-35 from US 290 East to State Highway 71/Ben White Boulevard. The project would also lower the I-35 mainlanes between Airport Boulevard and Lady Bird Lake, and Riverside Drive and Oltorf Street, remove the upper decks, widen east-west cross-street bridges, add boulevard-style segments through downtown, and enhance pedestrian and bicycle paths.
“This design will improve mobility along the corridor for bicyclists and pedestrians by adding more than 16 miles of new shared-use paths, constructing 13 widened east-west crossings with 30 feet on each side for bicycle and pedestrian paths and safety buffers, reconstructing 17 bridges or cross-streets and constructing bicycle and pedestrian-only bridges throughout the corridor,” TxDOT said.
A virtual public hearing will be held, along with an in-person option, on Thursday, February 9, 2023.
