Fencing and signage restrict public access near the Lady Bird Lake boardwalk as the I-35 Capital Express Central project continues. (Jessica McLaren/Community Impact)
From long-term I-35 closures near Lady Bird Lake to new rail track planned near Plaza Saltillo, East Austin’s transportation projects are moving at different speeds this fall. Here’s where key projects stand this October.
Project: Adds HOV lanes, rebuilds the Lady Bird Lake bridge and creates an interchange at Riverside Drive.
Update: Woodland Avenue is permanently closed under I-35. Several nearby pedestrian paths and road access points are closed through 2029 or later.
Timeline: early 2025-2033
Cost: part of the $5.6 billion I-35 CapEx Central budget
Funding source: Texas Department of Transportation, Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
Since February, drivers headed to Riverside must exit early at Woodland Avenue or continue to Cesar Chavez Street as work continues over Lady Bird Lake.(Jessica McLaren/Community Impact)
Project: 6.5 miles of 22-foot drainage tunnels under I-35 (Airport Boulevard to Holly Street) and along Cesar Chavez Street (I-35 to US 183), plus a pump station.
Update: Drop shaft construction is underway, and crews expect both tunnel boring machines to be in full operation by the end of the year, TxDOT officials said Oct. 23. Start times will be staggered, with the machine near Airport Boulevard expected to begin first. Frontage road closures at River Street and the Levander Loop trail extend through 2028.
Timeline: mid-2025-2029
Cost: $746 million
Funding source: TxDOT, CAMPO
Crews dig one of nine drop shafts for the 22-foot-wide drainage tunnel beneath I-35 near Airport Boulevard in 2025.(Courtesy TxDOT)
Project: Part of a 1.5-mile trail connecting the Pedernales Street bike path to the Southern Walnut Creek Trail.
Update: The 13-foot-4-inch wide prefabricated steel bridge is in place over the Boggy Creek channel, and officials expect work to wrap up this fall. Phase 3B is still to come.
Timeline: January 2026-late 2026
Cost: $3.76 million
Funding source: 2020 mobility bond, Community Project Funding
Once finished, the steel truss bridge will link Gunter and Sellers streets to Lyons Road and close a key gap in the 1.5-mile trail.(Jessica McLaren/Community Impact)
Project: Adds 0.6 miles of track, a second station platform, East Fifth Street sidewalks, crossing improvements and a nearby trail.
Update: Proposals were due Sept. 3. Work is expected to begin in summer 2027.
Timeline: June 2027-June 2028
Cost: estimated $40.6 million
Funding source: $18 million federal grant, CapMetro, city of Austin
A second track and a second 280-foot platform are planned at CapMetro's Red Line along East Fifth Street to let trains pass in both directions.(Jessica McLaren/Community Impact)
Project: Adds HOV lanes, lowers main lanes, removes upper decks, rebuilds crossings from MLK Jr. Boulevard to Holly Street, and adds three pedestrian bridges.
Update: Construction on the Downtown segment is set to begin in early 2027, according to TxDOT. Corridor work, including the city’s cap and stitch elements, will be phased throughout the project.
Timeline: 2027-2033
Cost: part of the $4.6 billion I-35 CapEx Central budget
Funding source: TxDOT, CAMPO
A rendering shows Sixth Street crossing a lowered I-35 downtown, with park space on proposed caps.(Courtesy TxDOT)
Austin's light rail system takes first step toward 3-mile airport connection
