I-35
1. TxDOT breaks ground on next decade of construction along I-35 in Central Austin
TxDOT broke ground on its I-35 Capital Express Central project on Oct. 30. The project will add two nontolled high-occupancy-vehicle, or HOV, lanes stretching roughly 8 miles from Hwy. 290 down to Hwy. 71.
The $4.5 billion infrastructure project will also lower the main lanes from Airport Boulevard to Lady Bird Lake and remove the upper decks, making room for a separate city of Austin initiative to add deck plazas, also referred to as cap and stitch.
The transportation agency also outlines bicycle and pedestrian improvements, including 19 miles of new shared-use path, as well as bike-pedestrian-only crossings constructed at Third Street, Fourth Street, 15th Street, 41st Street and 51st Street.
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2. Austin officials escape looming deadline to fund cap and stitch, for now
Austin City Council members caught a break before being forced to make the weighty decision by the end of year surrounding the funding of the longstanding proposal of I-35 land bridges—known as caps and stitches—as the Texas Department of Transportation extended the city’s deadline to commit the millions of dollars needed for roadway infrastructure until March 2025.
A memo from the city manager to council members dated Dec. 5 outlined the new timeline for a funding commitment, further indicating that staff would be withdrawing agenda Item 49, related to cap and stitch design funding, and Item 50, related to commitment to fund roadway elements for caps, from the Dec. 12 council meeting with the intent to bring these items back to a March council meeting.
After an update from staff Nov. 19 revealed that costs for the full build of the project had ballooned to an estimated $1.4 billion, council members heard staff recommendations to scale the project back.
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3. TxDOT proposing improvements to I-35 from Georgetown to Round Rock
The Texas Department of Transportation is proposing 13 miles of improvements along I-35 from Georgetown to Round Rock.
The project to improve I-35 includes adding two nontolled, high-occupancy vehicle—or HOV—lanes in each direction from Hwy. 29 to SH 45. The project also includes adding flyovers at I-35 and SH 45, relocating entrance and exit ramps, reconstructing several bridges and creating bypass lanes.
The department is developing preliminary designs for the improvements and conducting an environmental study.
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MoPac, US 183
4. Transportation authorities rekindle plans for new toll lanes along south MoPac in Austin
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, the agency responsible for managing and collecting toll fares on many of the express lanes in the Austin area, has revived a decade-old project intended to bring a solution to increasing traffic on south MoPac—more tolls.
After receiving the initial green light in 2013 to evaluate an 8-mile stretch of south MoPac from Cesar Chavez Street to Slaughter Lane, transportation officials are again presenting several proposed solutions for public review after a lawsuit stalled progress on the project from 2016 to 2021.
The agency has dialed in on plans for up to two new toll lanes in either direction.
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5. Road work and closures to look out for on US 183 North
In early summer, traffic shifted into the newly paved center median. The new configuration will provide four lanes in each direction as opposed to the existing three, according to the CTRMA.
Work being completed along the frontage roads is focused on building retaining walls and completing drainage improvements. Most closures have taken place at night, but some continuous lane closures are needed to allow crews to work in certain areas, such as the Duval Road to Balcones Woods closure, which will leave one through lane during the summer, per a statement from the CTRMA.
The US 183 North project spans 9 miles of US 183 from SH 45 in the north to MoPac in the south. The project broke ground in early 2022 to increase mobility, ease congestion in the area and create more reliable travel times, according to the CTRMA. Costing $612 million, project completion is still on track for 2026, CTRMA officials confirmed in February. The project will add two express toll lanes on the interior of the road plus one additional nontolled lane in each direction.
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Autonomous cars in Austin
6. General Motors retires Cruise robotaxis in Austin, nationwide
In a call to “realign” its autonomous driving strategy, General Motors will no longer be funding its Cruise driverless robotaxi program in Austin and across the nation, according to a Dec. 10 news release by the company.
The announcement comes after the company paused operations in Austin over a year ago.
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7. Waymo announces autonomous robotaxi services for the public to begin in 2025
Driverless car company Waymo announced a partnership with Uber on Sept. 13, by which Waymo will offer its driverless robotaxi services via the Uber ride-hailing app beginning in early 2025.
The ride-hailing company will oversee and deploy a fleet of Waymo’s fully autonomous, all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, which will gradually expand to include hundreds of cars, according to a news release.
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8. Another self-driving car company, Zoox, to use Austin for testing
Automated transportation company Zoox announced in June that it will begin fine-tuning its self-driving vehicles in Austin, with testing beginning sometime in the summer.
Expanding to both Miami and Austin, Zoox will be deploying its new fleet in small areas near the business and entertainment districts of the two cities, a company news release states. The company has already been testing its AI-smart vehicles in the San Francisco and Las Vegas areas.
Part of Austin’s allure stems from the area's horizontal traffic lights, wire-hanging traffic lights, railway crossings and “famous thunderstorms,” the release continues.
Read more.9. Self-driving semi trucks begin routes in Austin along intended new ‘smart corridor’
By the end of 2024, Texas drivers could look over to see a semitruck traveling down the highway with no one in the driver’s seat.
Leading the charge in the Austin area is autonomous truck company Kodiak Robotics, which is already hauling IKEA furniture, C.R. England refrigerated products and Tyson Foods chicken daily on Texas roads.
Currently, Kodiak trucks have a “safety driver” monitoring the truck as it carries freight for hundreds of miles. By the end of the year, Kodiak will begin sending trucks out solo.
TxDOT is also developing a 21-mile “smart corridor” on SH 130 from Georgetown through Del Valle. The stretch will be equipped with sensors and cameras that will help autonomous vehicles navigate road conditions and any potential hazards, according to road technology company Cavnue.
Details on when the smart corridor will officially launch have not been announced.
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Project Connect
10. Trial over Project Connect financing back on track after appeals court review
Project Connect's development has been gradually moving forward since Austin residents in 2020 approved the light rail and rapid bus network backed by new taxes.
The rail lines pitched at that time have since been scaled down. Project Connect's first phase will now cover about half the distance, with the potential for future extensions.
The project has drawn legal challenges from locals contending that voters were misled by the more extensive original rail blueprint. Attorney Bill Aleshire, representing the plaintiffs, said "drastic changes" have been made since 2020.
Legal proceedings intended to cement the financing plan for Project Connect—Austin's proposed multibillion-dollar transit system—may be back on track.
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11. $7.1B Project Connect light rail to break ground in 2027
Construction for Austin’s 9.8-mile Project Connect light rail system is slated to kick off in 2027, Austin Transit Partnership, the government entity responsible for building the rail, announced March 22.
Trains could be up and running throughout Central Austin by 2033, ATP said, adding that ATP leaders plan to secure all federal funding, which is expected to cover half of the project's expenses, by 2026.
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12. Austin Transit Partnership approves $98M contract for delivery of Project Connect
Austin Transit Partnership, the agency tasked with building the city’s light rail, has approved a $98 million contract Dec. 18 with AECOM Technical Services Inc. to serve as the Project Connect delivery partner. This marks a milestone in advancing the construction of Austin's transformative transportation project “on time and on budget.”
It was noted AECOM has previously partnered on several other large transportation projects, including the $25 billion Crossrail system in London and the $9 billion Purple Line rail project in Maryland.
With a delivery partner and associated technology secured, the organization will focus on mapping out a timeline and defining future milestones.
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Other transportation news from around the metro
13. $250M authorized for the expansion of SH 130 in Williamson County
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, or CAMPO, authorized $250 million in Texas Department of Transportation resources Dec. 9 for the widening of SH 130 spanning 15 miles between Gattis School Road to the south and I-35 to the north.
CAMPO does not approve funding, but rather routinely makes amendments to its transportation improvement program for projects that include federal funding or are of regional significance.
The Texas Department of Transportation has vouched for the millions needed for the widening project.
Total construction cost is estimated at $300 million and will be funded by toll operations, TxDOT spokesperson Bradley Wheelis said in a statement.
Adding a lane in either direction, the roadway will be expanded from a two-lane to a three-lane highway. Construction is expected to begin in 2027.
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14. Round Rock opens new Kenney Fort Boulevard section
A new section of Kenney Fort Boulevard in Round Rock opened to the public Dec. 6, connecting Forest Creek Drive to SH 45.
Segments 2 and 3 of Kenney Fort Boulevard includes a six-lane divided roadway and traffic signal at the Gattis School Drive intersection.
The plan for Kenney Fort Boulevard to one day connect Pflugerville to Round Rock to Georgetown and offer an alternative to I-35 is decades in the making. City plans going back to the 1980s show a Kenney Fort extension.
The six-lane divided roadway is made up of seven segmented projects, in various stages of completion, running north to south on Round Rock’s east side.
Read more.15. TxDOT unveils construction plan for Hwy. 290 from Oak Hill to Dripping Springs
Department of Transportation’s newly unveiled plans to revamp a 13-mile stretch of Hwy. 290 from Oak Hill to Dripping Springs.
The meeting marked the first major update on the project since TxDOT held an initial public comment meeting in 2019, as it was temporarily stalled during the height of the pandemic.
The project will extend from RM 12 in Dripping Springs to RM 1826 in Southwest Austin, connecting to the Oak Hill Parkway construction project that is currently underway. TxDOT is proposing the following upgrades to the corridor:
- Widen the corridor from four to six lanes.
- Add a divider between east- and westbound lanes.
- Eliminate stop lights.
- Add frontage roads, sidewalks and bike lanes.
16. Hays County's $440M transportation bond passes
The bond will fund the construction, design and right of way needed for 35 transportation projects across the county. The plan focuses on projects that will enhance safety, mobility and regional connectivity in Hays County, county officials said.
The majority of projects in precincts 1 and 2 are on the east side of I-35—an area that has historically been neglected due to lack of growth.
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