Northwest Austin Edition | March 2023

Changes ON THE WAY

Separating TRAFFIC

The I-35 North project will make several changes to I-35 and the surrounding area, including adding a new nontolled high-occupancy vehicle lane in each direction along the length of the project.

High-occupancy vehicle lanes will allow vehicles with two or more riders to use a separate managed lane. The number of lanes varies across the length of the road.

Direction of trac

Shoulders

Bu ers

Shared-use paths

KEY

Northbound main lanes

HOV lanes

Southbound main lanes

45 TOLL

Northbound frontage road

Southbound frontage road

GREENLAWN BLVD.

New HOV lanes

Frontage road widening

New bypass lanes

Existing main lanes

10'

11'

11'

11' 4'

12'

4' 4'

12'

4'

11'

11'

11'

10'

11'

11'

11'

11'

11'

11'

35

GRAND AVE. PKWY.

SOURCE: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Reconstructed bridges

Additional shared-use paths

CONTINUED FROM 1

W. PECAN ST.

#

by individuals carpooling, emergency service vehicles and buses. This will result in 30-36 minutes saved for HOV lane users in peak trac times, accord- ing to TxDOT. The project will also add a lane to the north- and southbound frontage roads along the length of the project. Roughly 18 miles of shared-use paths will be built beside most of I-35’s front- age roads for use by non-motorists. Additionally, the I-35 North project will reconstruct six bridges with pedes- trian and bicycle paths at Grand Ave- nue Parkway, Wells Branch Parkway, Howard Lane, Walnut Creek, Braker Lane and Rundberg Lane. Bypass roads will also be built near several intersec- tions. These roads allow drivers to nav- igate from the frontage road to a lane along I-35 to skip intersections facing congestion on the frontage roads. Along with a new bridge, TxDOT will build a diverging diamond interchange at Wells Branch Parkway. The inter- change allows large amounts of turn- ing trac to turn at once by diverting drivers to the opposite side of the road for a short distance, Wheelis said. This interchange will run under the bridge, allowing cross-street trac to enter I-35 more easily. “With [these interchanges], you can move more vehicles through a single signal cycle than a traditional inter- section, and that helps move a lot of left-turning trac,” Wheelis said. Rethink35 is a volunteer-based organization with chapters from San Antonio to Georgetown dedicated to protesting the I-35 expansion projects. Round Rock chapter founder Benjamin Berg said the project will not pay o in the way public ocials have promised. “When you’re adding more lanes, you’re not necessarily relieving the area,” Berg said. “Investing in forms of transportation that are public and easily accessible is a better alternative

Number of lanes

Diverging diamond The Texas Department of Transportation will construct a new diverging diamond under I-35 at Wells Branch Parkway, allowing two lanes of trac to temporarily shift across the opposite side of the road to move more trac at once. A

WELLS BRANCH PKWY.

A

MOPAC

HOWARD LN.

35

WELLS BRANCH PKWY.

1

B

3

2

3 1

2

2

3

2

HOWARD LN.

35

2

PARMER LN.

TECH RIDGE BLVD.

3

1 3

1

3

35

2

N

Howard Lane In addition to new main lanes on I-35, work on Howard Lane will add a northbound bypass lane, widen existing lanes, rebuild the bridge and create shared-use paths in the area. B

1

35

2

3

4

2

4

2

2

2

1

3

2

4

1

35

183

N

SOURCE: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONCOMMUNITY IMPACT

MAP NOT TO SCALE N

290

24

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