Chamber: Roadwork may hinge on November bond

Area drivers may be hoping ongoing proposals to change the Central Austin portion of I-35 will help fix the highway's increasing congestion problems, but Texas Department of Transportation officials said an immediate reduction in traffic is unlikely to occur.

Proposed construction to remedy congestion issues along I-35 between US 183 and Hwy. 290 could take anywhere from three to five years, TxDOT said, with some parts of the process potentially starting as soon as next year. At best, I-35 would see a 30 percent improvement in traffic flow if proposed new lanes—one in each direction—are added, said Terry McCoy, TxDOT deputy district engineer for Austin.

"This stretch of I-35 in Austin is the most congested corridor in the state of Texas," McCoy said. "That's a pretty big motivation for us to try and create some practical improvements for I-35."

TxDOT's plan for I-35 construction is not set in stone. The total cost and source of funding remain unresolved, as are some studies that need to be done to help decide the best method for proceeding.

"It will be a multiyear process, and it just depends on funding. We're working as aggressively as we can to get projects ready to go to construction," McCoy said. "The thing that we're committed to is not letting a dollar get by, so if we have access to $50 million, we'll spend that. If we have access to $100 million we'll use that."

But there may not be any funding for possible improvements if city voters reject November's rail bond package, which includes a stipulation for funding $400 million worth of road projects, said Jeremy Martin, Austin Chamber of Commerce senior vice president.

Martin said that extra money would "accelerate the development of express lanes that can provide an alternative to congestion years ahead of schedule."

Without voter approval of the transportation package, Martin said drivers would likely only see more congestion on Austin roads.

"Imagine it being worse at more hours of the day," he said. "Imagine traffic at 5 p.m. being that same intensity at noon, at 9 p.m., and also imagine that traffic spilling over to other parts of the system."

TxDOT's plan for lessening traffic on I-35 calls for adding one lane in each direction, McCoy said, adding anything more expansive would be too difficult to achieve.

"The reason we're not wanting to do more major expansion is we do not want to purchase a lot of right of way," McCoy said. "The impacts to our landmarks, hospitals, universities, cemeteries, historical-type properties—it would be devastating to our community."

Alternate routes, alternative modes

The way to substantially reduce congestion on the interstate is for drivers to find alternate roads or take different forms of transportation, McCoy said. Any expansions to I-35 could create enough space to allow more bus access—thus taking cars off the road, he said.

"We're hopeful at the end of the day that we're able to get those people out of cars and into buses and have those buses be able to operate reliably," McCoy said.

Whether the additional lanes will be high-occupancy vehicle, or HOV, tolled, free-use or some other option will be determined later this year once a planning and environmental study is complete.

Potential new collector-distributor roads may also be incorporated along the interstate to provide drivers longer merging ramps while merging. Also, these roads allow fast-traveling cars to avoid traffic lights at intersections. Collector-distributor roads already exist along southbound I-35 near the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard exit and on northbound I-35 near 51st Street.

TxDOT is also exploring the possibility of reducing tolls for semitrailers on nearby SH 130 to create an alternative to I-35. However, money must be found to make that happen, McCoy said. TxDOT spokeswoman Kelli Reyna said the last time SH 130 tolls were reduced for truckers in early 2013 proved to be very successful because, even after the promotion ended, more 18-wheelers and cars were using the toll road than before.

State Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, in late July announced support for the reduced toll initiative as well as a pilot program set to begin this fall that encourages employees to work from home more often—resulting in less cars on the road during peak hours.

Removing the 'barrier'

Some see the interstate project as an opportunity to remove the perceived segregation line that has split Austin for decades.

"I-35 has been a barrier between East and West Austin, and we need to take this opportunity to remove that barrier," McCoy said.

Whether that is done by elevating I-35 or depressing the highway below ground will not be decided until those options have been put through the National Environmental Policy Act test, said McCoy, who emphasized both options provide about the same amount of traffic congestion relief.

Reconnect Austin, a group seeking to reconnect neighborhoods on each side of I-35, would like to cap the interstate.

"[If a cap is built] the city downtown is enlarged by 30 acres, and you have a seamless relationship from downtown to East Austin," said architect Sinclair Black, who first revealed the cap proposal to Community Impact Newspaper in April 2013.

Even if a cap is not considered in TxDOT's initial plans, I-35 may be depressed enough during renovations to allow such a plan to proceed in the future if money becomes available for such a project, McCoy said.

Funding for the Reconnect Austin proposal would need to come from the city, McCoy said. However, the cap infrastructure would be owned by TxDOT, excluding any businesses or parks built atop the cap.

Some neighborhood groups, such as the North Central I-35 Neighborhood Coalition, or NCINC2, question how the proposed interstate construction plans will affect traffic and quality of life in the surrounding areas.

"A lot of us live where we do to avoid I-35 and the mess of it, but the reality is it exists and it impacts the travel patterns in and out of our neighborhoods. Given that reality we really need to make sure the plans implemented consider our immediate connection to the center of Austin," NCINC2 group member Mateo Barnestone said.

Because the interstate has the least amount of traffic at night, potential construction would likely occur from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. to help make the transition easier, McCoy said.