New marshaling yard and warehouse to alleviate event traffic in Austin

The Austin Convention Center Department is constructing a marshaling yard and warehouse to serve as off-site storage for Austin events.

The construction is the first step in the $40 million, 70,000-square-foot project approved by Austin City Council on Nov. 29, 2018. The ACCD uses a staging system on Red River Street for idle trucks and vehicles waiting to enter the Austin Convention Center loading docks and service yard.

The marshaling yard, located on 1400 Airport Commerce Drive, northwest of US 183 and Hwy. 71, will take in convention center truck deliveries in order to decrease traffic congestion within the city, especially when large events draw additional vehicles to the area. The layout has capacity for 112 trucks and tractor-trailers in addition to employee and other vehicle parking.

The warehouse is designed as a storage unit for the Austin Convention Center, the Palmer Events Center and other city entities, according to the release. Truck traffic will enter the warehouse from US 183 and exit onto Hwy. 71.

The project will be completed in 2022. PGAL is the project architect and SpawGlass Contractors, Inc. is the design-build construction contractor, according to a press release.

“The construction of the marshaling yard is one of our long-term strategies to improve, coordinate and relieve Red River Street traffic that leads to the convention center service yard,” said Trisha Tatro, Austin Convention Center department director in the release. “As a part of the downtown community, this is how the Austin Convention Center can logistically assist with the efficiency of traffic flow and increase pedestrian safety.”

The project also features a water quality and bio-filtration pond system as well as a visual arts project visible from Airport Commerce Drive, as part of the city of Austin Art in Public Places (AIPP) program, according to the release.