Transportation
BY BEN THOMPSON & AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN
Austin’s $1.4B plan to build amenity decks on I-35 could be scaled back Plans to bridge an expanded I-35 through Central Austin could change given climbing costs for proposed caps and stitches, or highway decks. The big picture Over the next decade, the Texas Department of Transportation will be reworking and widening an eight-mile stretch of I-35 through the city. TxDOT’s $4.5 billion Capital Express Central will remove I-35’s raised lanes, lower the road, add new lanes, and improve east-west highway crossings for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. Additionally, the University of Texas will fund a cap near its campus. Given a total price tag that’s now estimated at $1.4 billion and funding uncertainty, city transpor- tation staff are now recommending a significantly
New traffic lights begin operating at Buda intersection Traffic lights at Robert S. Light Boulevard and I-35 started Dec. 3, according to a social media post from the city of Buda. Project overview The project—funded by TxDOT—cost $2.5 million and includes eight new traffic signals, according to an email from Antonio Luján, TxDOT public information officer.
E. 45TH ST.
Proposed I-35 caps and stitches
AIRPORT BLVD.
35
City of Austin
The University of Texas
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BLVD.
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NOTE: AS OF PRESS TIME
N
scaled-back plan focused on downtown. Transportation Officer Michelle Marx said staff recently scored each proposed deck based on factors like equity, competitiveness for outside funding, pedestrian accessibility and future reve- nue generation. On Nov. 19, she shared a reduced outline that would make the downtown caps smaller and cost just over $500 million total.
35
N. I-35 FRONTAGE RD.
ROBERT S. LIGHT BLVD.
S. I-35 FRONTAGE RD.
N
Your Texas property tax experts, helping you lower your property tax bill for 36 years
21
SAN MARCOS - BUDA - KYLE EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook