Updated May 6, 3:30 p.m. Most of the major structural work on the MoPac express lane project is on track to wrap up by June. In the coming weeks, construction workers will be finishing paving and installing the walls of the underpasses that connect the express toll lanes to downtown Austin, said Steve Pustelnyk, director of community relations for the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, which is overseeing the project. Next week, several closures will occur, likely beginning Tuesday night so workers can restripe the southbound lanes between US 183 and RM 2222 and realign traffic to its permanent position, Pustelnyk said. By the end of May, paving should be done to reopen the northbound auxiliary or merge lanes between 35th and 45th streets, he said. On the southbound side, workers are finishing a retaining wall near 45th Street, which is one of the last remaining structural elements of the project. To date, only about 50 percent of the work on the sound walls is complete, Pustelnyk said. Other remaining work includes painting walls and bridge structures, adding highway LED lights, removing or relocating traffic barriers, installing signs and adding the final layer of friction course pavement. The ground breaking for the MoPac project, which is adding one variably priced toll lane in each direction between Parmer Lane and Cesar Chavez Street, was in October 2013. The original completion date was fall 2015, but contractor CH2M ran into numerous issues that have delayed the project by two years. It is still on budget at $204 million. [g-slider gid="241082" width="100%" height="55%"]

Upcoming MoPac lane, ramp closures through May 12

  • Reduced to one northbound outside lane between Enfield Road and RM 2222 from 10 p.m. Friday-7 a.m. Saturday and from 9 p.m.-6 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday
  • Reduced to one southbound outside lane between 45th and 35th streets from 10 p.m. Friday-7 a.m. Saturday and from 8 p.m.-5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and alternating ramp closures from 45th Street and to 35th Street Tuesday night
  • Alternating closures of the access roads in both directions at Capital of Texas Hwy. from 9 p.m.-5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday
  • Entrance ramps in both directions from westbound Cesar Chavez Street closed from midnight-6 a.m. Monday
  • Reduced to one southbound inside lane between Westover and Windsor roads and closure of both exits from 8 p.m. Monday-5 a.m. Tuesday
  • Southbound lanes closed between Capital of Texas Hwy. and Steck Avenue from midnight-5 a.m. Wednesday
  • Reduced to one southbound lane and intermittent ramp closures between Steck and RM 2222 from 8 p.m.-5 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday
  • Reduced to one northbound outside lane between Enfield Road and 45th Street from 9 p.m. Thursday-7 a.m. Friday
  • Northbound exit to RM 2222 closed from 10 p.m. Thursday-7 a.m. Friday
A full list of closures is available at www.mopacexpress.com. Editor's note: Article updated to correct the date of the ground breaking.