The project is aimed at reducing traffic crashes, according to a transportation department newsletter. It added a second-left turn lane on West Braker Lane, 8-foot-wide shared-use paths and sidewalks.
The work also included continental striped crosswalks, which use stripes that run parallel to the curb, said Jeff Stensland, a senior public information specialist with the transportation department.
“Previously, crosswalks were often painted perpendicular to the intersection in the form of two stripes demarking the designated area for pedestrians to cross,” Stensland added. “Continental crosswalks are found to increase visibility for both motorists and pedestrians, and they are the standard design deployed by Austin Transportation.”
Prior to the pandemic, 262,500 vehicles traveled through the intersection per week, but that number dropped in 2020 to 175,000.
The project cost approximately $1.23 million with funding coming from the 2016 mobility bond.
