The cut and cap plan for I-35, an option put forward by Sinclair Black to address the traffic issues on the highway, was endorsed by Austin City Council at the June 20th meeting.

At the council work session June 18, Mayor Lee Leffingwell said that he feels like the cut and cap option is the "gold standard" for I-35 improvements, but he is worried about barriers to the project.

"I can see that the cut proposal is pretty well accepted if [it] can be done in a way where you can go back sometime later and cap it after all this stuff is done, but I think our direction needs to be full speed ahead on improving congestion on I-35," Leffingwell said. "Anything that impedes that, I'm very concerned about."

The resolution was approved by council on the consent agenda, and was not discussed at the meeting. The resolution supports the option being included in the Texas Department of Transportation's IH-35 National Environmental Policy Act study and allows the city manager to conduct an economic analysis of the plan.

The cut and cap plan could put the interstate underground between about Lady Bird Lake and 15th Street with a cap above the highway. Capping I-35 could allow for the land currently occupied by the interstate to be repurposed for mixed-use developments and park space.

Councilman Chris Riley said he views the cut and cap plan potential option to seriously address traffic needs based the financial implications of the project.

"I don't view this as just some unrealistic effort to beautify the corridor," Riley said. "I view this as basic transportation infrastructure that is trying to provide a solution to a very challenging problem of increasing mobility through the central part of our city but doing that in a way that balances that need with other objectives."

Councilman Mike Martinez said at the work session that even though the project could have a positive economic effect on the area due to new land being able to be developed, the plan could have some negative repercussions to the surrounding communities.

"I want us to be keenly aware of some of the negative side of that economic impact in that just east of this project are a lot of working-class families that are lower income that will see their property values exponentially increase, and therefore their property tax would exponentially increase," Martinez said.

For more information on the cut and cap plan, read our coverage of the possible project.