AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Efforts to rebuild and expand Interstate 35 through downtown Austin are one step closer to reality, after the project received two key approvals from federal officials Monday.
TxDOT officials on Monday published a record of decision and final environmental analysis for the I-35 Capital Express Central project - an 8-mile piece of the interstate running from State Highway 71 north to U.S. Highway 290.
Construction on the $4.5 billion project is estimated to begin in mid-2024, officials said.
The plan calls for two managed lanes for high-occupancy vehicles, along with the removal of the interstate's upper decks just north of downtown. The interstate itself is also set to be lowered along much of its run, between Lady Bird Lake and Airport Boulevard, as well as between Riverside Drive and Oltorf Sreet. Bike paths and boulevard-style segments through downtown Austin are also part of the agency's plans.
Construction on the project will happen in phases, with the final pieces expected to be completed by 2034.
The central portion of the project is one of three Capital Express projects that TxDOT is undertaking - with construction already underway on the North and South phases. Those two are expected to add an additional $900 million.
Whether the portion of I-35 through downtown Austin will be "capped" or not remains to be seen. These caps - or large decks stretching over the below-grade portions of the highway - would better help connect areas previously separated by the interstate. TxDOT officials say they're continuing to work with both the City of Austin and the University of Texas to find ways to pay for caps, though TxDOT says it does not have the funding on its own.