The city will also have to fund those highway "caps," although a decision on that piece of the program will be made by late 2026.
The big picture
City Council has been debating a plan for acres of new public space over I-35, after it's widened and lowered by TxDOT. Elected officials and community members opposed to the I-35 expansion have long eyed a "cap and stitch" program, or a series of decks covering the highway between Lady Bird Lake and Airport Boulevard holding public parks, trails, buildings and other features.
Council members faced a May deadline to at least decide on funding the roadway elements, or foundational infrastructure, to support deck development in the future. Officials settled on a plan to spend $104 million on foundations for:
- A cap covering more than 5 acres from Cesar Chavez-Fourth streets
- A cap covering more than 3 acres from Fourth-Seventh streets
- A cap covering more than 2 acres from 11th-12th streets
- Two 300-foot "stitches"—improved crossings that are smaller than full amenity decks—linking the Cherrywood and Hancock neighborhoods near the Red Line
Council's May 22 decision represents a scaled-down version of the expansive "Our Future 35" community vision plan that called for more than 26 acres of amenity decks over I-35, likely at a cost of well over $1 billion—not counting millions in annual operations and maintenance expenses. The vote came after officials and residents split on the merits of funding the caps versus other city priorities, and the scale of a final project outline.
TxDOT will now include infrastructure for the three downtown caps and two northern stitches as the I-35 expansion advances.
Austin's cap program isn't connected to plans from The University of Texas at Austin to expand its campus with acres of new land over I-35. UT is developing and funding that initiative separately from the city.
Zooming in
Debate in May centered around multiple, evolving cap proposals developed after much recent review at City Hall. Council eventually expanded on a base recommendation from city staff that would've reserved $49 million to build the support for two large caps downtown only.
With several officials seeking a smaller overall investment, council member Paige Ellis proposed spending $72 million on the foundations for the two downtown caps, plus a smaller stitch downtown and another near the Red Line.
Representing a group hoping to build as many caps as possible, council member Zo Qadri suggested spending $104 million to support the downtown caps northern stitches. That proposal ended up being approved 8-2-1, with council members Marc Duchen and Krista Laine against and council member Mike Siegel abstaining.
Many on the council dais favored a more expansive strategy they said would represent an ambitious and generational civic upgrade, creating significant new offerings for residents all over town. They also said caps will spur development, economic growth, and mobility and safety improvements around the interstate corridor. Some said new public connections between downtown and the east side—including the Mexican American Heritage Corridor and African American Cultural Heritage District—would benefit the area after historic segregation and disconnection.
On the other side, skeptics said the cap program represents a misuse of city funds at a time of financial uncertainty, and would disproportionately benefit Central Austinites at the expense of those living farther from downtown. Siegel said even the smallest blueprint would make Austin the "cap champion of North America" with more highway decks than any other city, and Duchen said the end result would minimize costs and maximize benefits while preserving some financial security.
What's next
After deciding to fund foundational cap infrastructure this spring, city leaders and other community stakeholders have over a year to figure out a plan to fund the decks themselves. It remains to be seen how much more city funding might be used to develop the caps and crossings.
Officials have said they anticipate seeking significant support from philanthropists and the private sector to complete the program. Other cities with completed highway cap projects like Dallas and Boston secured significant investments outside of public funding.
