Austin begins first phase of major corridor construction on Airport Boulevard

The city of Austin has started construction to improve Airport Boulevard as one of its largest Corridor Construction Program projects to date from the 2016 mobility bond.

The Corridor Program Office approved a notice to proceed for construction July 9 for Airport between North Lamar Boulevard and East Koenig Lane. The full Airport corridor extends south to US 183, and additional segments of the road are in varying phases of design.

The first phase of Airport improvements is projected to finish construction next summer. According to the CPO, the accepted bid for the project is $12.19 million. The project is funded primarily by the 2016 mobility bond, which Austin voters approved in 2016 for transportation and mobility improvements throughout the city. Capital Metro will also contribute some funds for transit stop improvements.

Aspects of the project include a new traffic signal and crosswalk at Clayton Lane, shared-use paths for bicyclists and pedestrians on both sides of the roadway, drainage improvements, pavement resurfacing and bus stop improvements, according to a CPO press release.

Drainage improvements will consist of additions to the curb and gutter as well as a few short segments of new drainage infrastructure, pipe and inlets in some areas to direct water into existing drainage facilities.

Pavement resurfacing will restore the street surface following construction, facilitate installation of new lane markings and provide a smoother driving surface.

Bus stop improvements will consist of new locations along the corridor, including a new bus stop at Clayton.

The current Airport construction is part of multimodal improvement projects that span over 50 miles of roadway. Through the 2016 mobility bond, the CPO will bring more improvements to Airport and eight other Austin corridors included in the CCP in the coming years.

The city plans to have temporary closures of sidewalks, driveways and travel lanes along the roadway daily between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., according to the CPO.