Safety is expected to improve as construction along South Congress Avenue and Stassney Lane in south Austin has concluded this winter.

The overview

The city of Austin’s Transportation and Public Works Department designed improvements for this span of roadway intending to reduce crashes for all transportation modes, according to a news release.

Improvements for safety, mobility and accessibility included the following measures:
  • A second left-turning lane for vehicles traveling southbound Congress Avenue to eastbound Stassney Lane
  • New raised concrete medians on Congress Avenue to control entry and exit points along the roadway
  • A new left turn lane on northbound Congress Avenue to Ainsworth Street
  • Reworked the concrete islands at the northeast and southeast corners of the intersection to make cars take right turns more slowly
  • New separated bicycle and pedestrian paths
  • Six new Capital Metro bus stops
  • Upgraded pedestrian infrastructure, including re-striped crosswalks and new ADA-compliant curb ramps
  • Driveway safety enhancements
  • Traffic signal upgrades as well as signal timing upgrades to improve operations at both the Little Texas Lane and Stassney Lane intersections along South Congress Avenue
  • New pavement surface markings and signage
The Austin Transportation and Public Works Department has completed roadwork along S Congress Avenue. (Rendering courtesy city if Austin Transportation and Public Works Department)


The framework


Taking roughly a year and a half to complete, crews first began working on the $4.9 million roadway improvements in May 2023.

The project was funded by the city’s 2018 Mobility Bonds and CapMetro. Find the status of other Mobility Bond road projects here.