{"id":436043,"date":"2026-09-14T23:28:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T23:28:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/436043\/"},"modified":"2026-09-14T23:28:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T23:28:23","slug":"where-some-of-east-austins-transportation-projects-stand-this-september-east-austin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/436043\/","title":{"rendered":"Where some of East Austin’s transportation projects stand this September | East Austin"},"content":{"rendered":"

From a newly reopened highway bridge to a trail’s final piece still under construction, Austin’s mobility bond and Texas Department of Transportation-funded projects are moving at different speeds across the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here’s a look at what’s finished, what’s underway and what’s still ahead.<\/p>\n

Completed projects<\/p>\n

I-35 Capital Express Central: MLK Jr. Boulevard Bridge Segment
Project: Reconstruction and widening of the MLK Jr. Boulevard bridge over I-35, adding sidewalks, shade structures, a safety barrier, and rebuilt I-35 entrance and exit ramps in both directions.
Update: The bridge is now fully operational, as two lanes reopened in each direction in early August. Crews are finishing shared-use paths and wider sidewalks this month.<\/p>\n

Timeline: October 2024\u2013August 2026<\/p>\n

Cost: $34.4 million (part of the $4.5 billion I-35 CapEx Central budget)<\/p>\n

Funding source: TxDOT and Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization<\/p>\n

Traffic crosses the rebuilt MLK Jr. Boulevard bridge as crews complete the shared-use path and widened sidewalks this month. (Jessica McLaren\/Community Impact)Heavy equipment is still on site as crews wrap up finishing work on the MLK Jr. Boulevard bridge over I-35. (Jessica McLaren\/Community Impact)<\/p>\n

Ongoing projects<\/p>\n

I-35 Capital Express Central: Lady Bird Lake Segment
Project: From Holly Street to Hwy. 79 and Ben White Boulevard, the project adds two HOV lanes in each direction, and rebuilds the Lady Bird Lake bridge, a Riverside Drive interchange, and a pedestrian-only bridge at Woodland Avenue.
Update: TxDOT revised the schematics Sept. 9. Woodland Avenue under I-35 and northbound frontage road access north of Riverside Drive are closed. Waterway passage under the bridge remains narrowed to 75 feet.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Timeline: expected completion in 2033<\/p>\n

Cost: part of the $4.5 billion I-35 CapEx Central budget<\/p>\n

Funding source: TxDOT and CAMPO<\/p>\n

A detour sign directs northbound I-35 traffic amid a road closure tied to construction at the Riverside Drive interchange. (Jessica McLaren\/Community Impact)Fencing and signage restrict public access near the Lady Bird Lake boardwalk as TxDOT’s I-35 Capital Express Central project continues. (Jessica McLaren\/Community Impact)<\/p>\n

Airport Boulevard Corridor Mobility Program
Project: This includes safety, mobility and connectivity upgrades along Airport Boulevard from North Lamar Boulevard to US 183.
Update: Signal work is active at 51st Street and at Springdale Road as of late summer.<\/p>\n

Crews in 2025 work near the railroad tracks to build a shared-use path connecting Bruning Avenue to Airport Boulevard in North Austin. (Courtesy Capital Delivery Services)<\/p>\n

MoKan Trail: Boggy Creek Bridge Segment
Project: A 1.5-mile trail connecting the Pedernales Street bike path to the Southern Walnut Creek Trail.
Update: Phase 5, the bridge over Boggy Creek, is the trail’s final piece and is expected to be complete by late 2026.<\/p>\n

Timeline: expected completion in late 2026<\/p>\n

Cost: about $5.3 million\u20135.8 million<\/p>\n

Funding source: 2020 mobility bond, Community Project Funding<\/p>\n

Construction equipment and signage at the MoKan Trail’s Boggy Creek Bridge segment, the trail’s final piece, is expected to finish by late 2026. (Jessica McLaren\/Community Impact)The steel truss bridge structure is taking shape over the Boggy Creek channel as work continues on the MoKan Trail connection. (Jessica McLaren\/Community Impact)<\/p>\n

Upcoming projects:<\/p>\n

Cesar Chavez Street and Red Bluff Road safety improvements
Project: The project will include new turn lanes, protected bike lanes, and improved bus stops and crossings between Pleasant Valley Road and Shady Lane, plus a dual-path urban trail extension.
Update: A community feedback survey closed May 11. Detailed design is pending review of that feedback.<\/p>\n

Timeline: expected completion in 2028-29<\/p>\n

Cost: $6.2 million<\/p>\n

Funding source: federal grants, 2018 and 2020 mobility bonds<\/p>\n

The intersection of Cesar Chavez Street and Shady Lane, future site of planned safety improvements including turn lanes and protected bike lanes. (Jessica McLaren\/Community Impact)<\/p>\n

E. 51st Street Mobility Project
Project: Reconstruction from I-35 to Berkman Drive will include protected bike lanes, new crossings, parking, landscaping and public art.
Update: The design reached 90% completion, according to a June 13 public open house. Construction is expected to begin next summer, nearly 15 years after voters approved the project.<\/p>\n

The planned streetscape for East 51st Street between Cameron Road and Berkman Drive includes landscaped medians, protected bike lanes and wide sidewalks connecting Windsor Park and Mueller.
\n (Courtesy City of Austin)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From a newly reopened highway bridge to a trail’s final piece still under construction, Austin’s mobility bond and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":436044,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[93774,132,134,23195,133,44179,140249,151132,120570,25749,3742,151131,141118],"class_list":["post-436043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-austin","tag-airport-boulevard","tag-austin","tag-austin-headlines","tag-austin-mobility-bonds","tag-austin-news","tag-austin-transportation-projects","tag-boggy-creek-bridge","tag-cesar-chavez-safety-improvements","tag-east-51st-street","tag-i-35-capital-express-central","tag-lady-bird-lake","tag-mlk-jr-blvd-bridge","tag-mokan-trail"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=436043"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436043\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/436044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=436043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=436043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=436043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}