As you probably already know, Austin’s congested and frequently gridlocked roadways are a regular headache for local residents, with the I-35 and MoPac freeways being among the biggest sources of grief.
In an effort to alleviate the congestion on MoPac, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) embarked on a project to expand and revamp the aging roadway, specifically by adding toll lanes to enable drivers to pay in order to bypass most exits and at least in theory, the bulk of traffic. After four years of construction slowed by many delays and $233 million, the new lanes were fully completed and opened by the end of October 2017. Their impact on travel times will take a while to gauge, but at least the chaos of construction-induced lane closures seems to be over for now.
But if the MoPac project has reached completion, Austin’s other most loathed roadway is about to undergo a major, long-term project that will hopefully offer something better than the current state of white-knuckled affairs. Kicked off on September 7, the first two of the Texas Department of Transportation’s Mobility35 initiative’s projects are targeted at improving congestion in Central Austin. Part of an overall $8.1 billion plan to be implemented over the next 10 years, the two projects are focused on 51st Street in North Austin and Oltorf Street in South Austin.
The $16.5 million project at 51st Street will add a bypass lane that will let through-traffic skip the traffic signal that is currently in place, hopefully reducing congestion. In addition, a roundabout will be added at the intersection of the southbound frontage road of I-35 and 51st Street to enable U-turns. Improvements for bicycle and pedestrian access along the southbound frontage road are also in the plans.
The three-phase Oltorf project began in November and will involve reconstructing the Oltorf Street bridge, upgrading and extending the on and off ramps, adding new U-turns, and updating bicycle and pedestrian routes. The $42.6 million project, funded by TxDOT, is scheduled for completion in Spring 2019.
The next projects in the Mobility35 plan shift attention further north to Parmer Lane, where a $25 million plan will convert the current interchange into something called a diverging diamond intersection (DDI), which temporarily shifts traffic to the left side of the roadway to facilitate left turns and through traffic. In addition, work crews will reconstruct entrance and exit ramps on I-35 south of Parmer and improve turn lanes at the nearby intersection of Parmer and Lamar Boulevard. Construction is slated to begin in late 2018 and finish in summer 2020.
As for the stretch of I-35 that runs through downtown and frequently resembles a parking lot, TxDOT has plans to add additional lanes. However, the exact plan and timeline for construction, not to mention impact on existing traffic, are still under discussion. One previously publicized aspect of the plan that will not be part of it going forward is the addition of toll lanes, which were cut from the plan under pressure from the Governor and other key state legislators. So while relief may be on its way, Central Texas freeway drivers will have to continue to be patient.
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