AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin has joined other cities across the country in showing solidarity with the "Black Lives Matter" movement on its streets.
Tuesday morning, Austin Transportation crews and local artists and activists began painting "Black Austin Matters" in large block letters on Congress Avenue between 6th Street and 9th Street.
In a tweet Tuesday, the department called Congress a "canvas of our city," noting the street is home to marathons and marches. "Some don’t have the chance to tell their stories so this morning we gave them the canvas."
Capitol View Arts and the Austin Justice Coalition partnered with the city to paint the street, as well as another mural on 11th Street between Waller and Lydia. That mural, which will say "Black Arists Matter", will be painted on Thursday.
City crews closed roads and set up barricades and assisted with outlining the letters, while artists did the bulk of the painting.
The message is expected to remain on the street for at least the next six months.
City transportation officials said Congress will remain closed between 6th and 9th Streets until 8 p.m. on Sunday; while the street remains open to pedestrian traffic, motor vehicle traffic attempting to head north and south on Congress is being detoured west to Colorado Street or east to Brazos Street.