Drivers traveling south in Austin should brace for more long-term traffic delays on a major Texas highway that runs through the city. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will be closing parts of Interstate 35 this week for its ongoing expansion project.
Starting Monday, July 13, the southbound I-35 mainlanes between Oltorf Street and Woodward Street will be closed from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. The southbound I-35 frontage road will also be reduced to one lane.
According to TxDOT, drivers can use the Woodward Street exit (231) to access the frontage road and can reenter the mainlanes at the Oltorf Street entrance ramp. On Tuesday, July 14, the southbound I-35 Woodland Avenue exit (232) will be closed from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Beginning Wednesday, July 15, at 10 p.m., traffic on the southbound I-35 frontage road just north of Riverside Drive will shift long-term, as crews begin reconstruction of the Riverside Drive bridge over I-35. Drivers will be directed to use the Riverside Drive bypass lane to continue south on the frontage road, and a new temporary signal will open on the southbound I-35 frontage road to allow drivers access to east and westbound Riverside Drive.
TxDOT says that elements of these traffic changes will remain in place through 2029, with work on Riverside Drive expected to shift next year. There will be two lanes maintained in each direction along the Riverside Drive bridge during construction. Pedestrian access will remain along the south side of Riverside Drive with a signalized crosswalk at Edgecliff Terrace, just west of I-35.
The detours are part of the planned construction of the I-35 Capital Express Central project, a massive $4.5 billion, eight-mile expansion of the interstate near downtown Austin. The project aims to add bypass lanes designed to reduce delays and improve safety by separating through and turning movements, according to TxDOT.
This summer, crews will also construct new bridge columns at Riverside Drive. TxDOT says its goal for the I-35 Capital Express Central project is to, “improve mobility, enhance safety and help reduce congestion for all users.”