City crews can be seen working along Airport Boulevard, pouring concrete for new sidewalks and bike paths from 45th to 55th Street—part of an initiative to enhance safety and accessibility.

What’s new?

The $3.7 million mobility project, a part of the city’s larger corridor improvement program, is roughly 20% complete and on track to be completed by the end of May, according to an update from the city in late January.

Implemented in phases, improvements along the corridor include:

• New pedestrian crossings
• New shared-use paths
• Signal updates
• Bus stop improvements
• A raised median
• Road resurfacing
• Drainage improvements

Once complete, the stretch of Airport Boulevard from 45th to 55th Street will see new shared-use paths, upgraded traffic signals and additional pedestrian crossing safety improvements at 55th Street, Bruning Avenue and 51st Street, as well as enhanced sidewalk connectivity and functionality on the west side of the roadway near Hwy. 290.



The project, which began construction back in October, incorporates mobility and safety enhancements that align with the city's vision for “urban corridors,” according to city documents. Safety improvements are intended to make Airport Boulevard more pedestrian-friendly, the documents state.

Some context

After a series of community forums, Austin City Council members adopted a $1.5 billion Corridor Construction Program back in 2018 to improve nine major corridors across the metro.

An estimated $482 million in total has been allocated from a voter-approved 2016 Mobility Bond towards Airport Boulevard corridor improvements, which span in its entirety from North Lamar Boulevard down to US 183 in South Austin.