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From new rapid bus service to ongoing highway construction and upcoming street safety projects, East Austin's transportation network is seeing significant activity in 2026.
Here's where key projects stand.
Upcoming projects
Cesar Chavez St., Red Bluff Safety Improvements
Project: Safety and mobility improvements on Cesar Chavez Street between Pleasant Valley Road and Shady Lane, and on Red Bluff Road, including safer lane configurations and intersections, new turn lanes, protected bicycle lanes, improved bus stops, transit access and new pedestrian crossings.
Update: Community engagement wrapped up in late April 2026. Detailed design is forthcoming pending review of community feedback.
E. 51st St. Mobility Project
Project: Safety, mobility and connectivity improvements along East 51st Street from I-35 to Berkman Drive, including protected bike lanes, improved pedestrian crossings at Mueller Boulevard, Lancaster Court and Berkman Drive, parallel parking, landscaping and public art.
Update: The city will host a public open house June 13 at Austin Energy Headquarters to present project designs and gather community feedback.
Ongoing projects
I-35 Capital Express Central Project (drainage tunnel segment)
Project: The drainage tunnel segment of the I-35 Capital Express Central project constructs 6.5 miles of 22-foot diameter drainage tunnels beneath I-35 between Airport Boulevard and Holly Street, and along Cesar Chavez Street from I-35 to US 183, plus a pump station for stormwater management.
Update: Construction is underway. The southbound I-35 frontage road at River Street is closed through mid-2028.
I-35 Capital Express Central Project (Lady Bird Lake segment)
Project: The Lady Bird Lake segment of the I-35 Capital Express Central project runs from Holly Street to SH 71/Ben White Boulevard. Work includes reconstructing the Lady Bird Lake bridge, adding two high-occupancy-vehicle managed lanes in both directions, building a single-point urban interchange at Riverside Drive, a pedestrian-only bridge at Woodland Avenue, and bike and pedestrian paths along the corridor.
Update: Woodland Avenue under I-35 has been permanently closed. Drivers traveling east or west on Woodland Avenue should use the frontage roads and make U-turns at Riverside Drive or Oltorf Street. Northbound frontage road access just north of Riverside Drive is closed through 2029. Beginning June 1, the southbound I-35 bypass ramp to 15th Street was closed through mid-July for bridge construction.
Airport Blvd. Corridor Mobility Program
Project: Safety, mobility and connectivity improvements along Airport Boulevard from North Lamar Boulevard to US 183, including new shared-use paths, upgraded traffic signals, pedestrian crossing improvements, accessible pedestrian signals and sidewalk enhancements. Part of the city's nine-corridor, $482 million 2016 Mobility Bond program.
Update: The shared-use path along the west side of Airport Boulevard between 51st Street and Middle Fiskville Road reached completion in early April 2026. Signal improvement work is ongoing at 51st Street, and Springdale Road is expected to begin in late summer 2026. A 10-foot-wide continuous shared-use path from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Springdale Road is also planned.
Completed projects
Project: Two new MetroRapid bus lines serving East Austin as part of CapMetro's Project Connect program. Rapid 800 runs from the Mueller neighborhood to Goodnight Ranch Park & Ride via Pleasant Valley Road. Rapid 837 runs from the Expo Center Park & Ride in Northeast Austin to Republic Square downtown.
Update: Full service launched June 7, bringing both lines to 10-minute peak frequency. Initial service began February 2025 at reduced frequency before the June upgrade.
