Frequently Asked Questions

Don't see your question below? Contact us.

What is the purpose of this program?

The purpose of this program is to identify and implement effective short- and mid-term strategies to improve mobility and connectivity for all modes of transportation (automobiles, transit, trucks, emergency vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles) along and across the I-35 corridor in the Capital Area.

What is the Implementation Plan?

The Implementation Plan is a document that outlines a program of projects to be implemented, a preliminary schedule for the implementation, the costs to implement the projects, and includes an assessment of funding needs and available funding. The Travis County portion of the Plan was completed in the fall of 2013. It is anticipated that the Plan will be updated annually.

How does the I-35 Capital Area Improvement Program’s focus on short- and medium-term solutions to congestion on the interstate differ from the effort to identify a long-term solution for I-35 in the Capital Area?

The goal of this effort is to make meaningful, lasting improvements as soon as possible, while difficult long-term solutions are identified and carefully evaluated by the community. Since I-35 is too important to ignore, the I-35 Capital Area Improvement Program is looking for improvements that can be implemented to improve mobility and safety along and across I-35, without wholesale reconstruction of the corridor. While focusing on short- to mid-term improvements, the program is looking toward the longer term vision to ensure that the current projects support future projects to the maximum extent practical.

What are the program limits?

The program limits are from SH 130 (north of Georgetown) to Posey Road (south of San Marcos). Public input is playing a vital role in shaping the future of this 65-mile corridor.

Why are I-35 improvements needed?

I-35 is too important to ignore. The section of the interstate in the Austin Area is the most congested highway in Texas. It has been more than 50 years since I-35 was built through downtown Austin. And it has been 38 years since the upper deck was added to the interstate.

Can't you solve the congestion problem on I-35 by diverting trucks to SH 130?

Trucks make up only 7-10 percent of the total daily traffic on I-35 in the Austin area. So even if there was a way to remove all trucks the from the interstate, it would help, but not solve the congestion problem. Also, many commercial trucks using I-35 are making pickups and deliveries in the Austin area. Those truck drivers do not divert to SH 130 because their jobs require them to be along the I-35 corridor. While TxDOT and local transportation planners continue to study possibilities for reducing the number of trucks using I-35, such strategies will only be a part of the overall comprehensive solution to managing I-35 congestion.

Isn't most of I-35 traffic just trying to get through Austin?

Despite being an interstate highway, the congestion problem along I-35 in the greater Austin area has a local cause. A recent study by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute shows that a majority of traffic on I-35 is “local,” with home, work, school, and other trip destinations located within the three-county area (Hays, Travis, Williamson). While TxDOT and local transportation planners continue to study possibilities for getting more vehicles off of I-35, such strategies will only be a part of the overall comprehensive solution to managing I-35 congestion.

How does this program differ from prior I-35 studies?

Instead of looking for a large, single, “ultimate” solution for I-35, the current program focuses on identifying individual projects that collectively provide substantial benefit. Effectively, the program is looking for a “string of pearls” – projects that can be built as stand-alone improvements up and down I-35, each providing individual benefit for congestion. It looks to improve mobility along and across I-35 without wholesale reconstruction of the corridor. The program is focusing on innovative solutions to maximize the current facilities and rights-of-way including diverging diamond intersections, roundabouts, median U-turn intersections, modified frontage roads, collector-distributor roads, and the Future Transportation Corridor.

Who is involved?

The program is a community-driven effort that includes local, state and federal agencies, as well as the public and community stakeholders throughout the three-county study area. Currently, primary partnering agencies include:

• Senator Kirk Watson, Chair Rider 42 Work Group
• Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
• Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
• Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority
• City of Austin
• City of Pflugerville
• City of Round Rock
• Federal Highway Administration
• Hays, Travis and Williamson Counties
• Texas Department of Transportation
• Texas A&M Transportation Institute
• Austin Chamber of Commerce

Additional partners will be included in the process as the project expands further into Hays and Williamson County.

What type of improvements are being considered?

A wide range of physical and operational improvements are being considered. Physical improvements include such things as ramp modifications or added lanes. Operational improvements include new ways to operate intersections and respond to incidents.

Who pays for the improvements?

Funding for I-35 improvements may be provided by any combination of federal, state, local, and possibly private dollars. No matter what concepts are chosen to improve I-35, funding will be required to make the improvements. Early estimates suggest that it will take more than $1 billion to pay for needed mobility and safety improvements along I-35 in Travis County alone.

Who will benefit?

Neighbors, business and commerce throughout the region will benefit from improved mobility and enhanced safety along I-35. The program is examining benefits to all corridor users, including: local and through traffic; commuters; cross street traffic; transit patrons and carpoolers; bicyclists and pedestrians.

Why haven't prior solutions from other plans been implemented?

Previous studies to improve I-35 have focused almost exclusively on large-scale “ultimate” construction projects to address the current and future needs along the corridor. Unfortunately, many of these large-scale projects were determined to be extremely costly and difficult to implement due to the extensive right-of-way acquisitions, construction time required, and potential impacts on the community. As a result, they have not advanced toward implementation.

Will improvements consider pedestrian, bicycle and transit needs?

Yes. Improvements will consider a wide range of modes of transportation both along and across the I-35 corridor.

What is the schedule and when will improvements happen?

The program began in August 2011 and the Travis County Implementation Plan was completed in August 2013 and delivered to the Rider 42 Committee. Public outreach and stakeholder coordination is ongoing and refinements continue to be made to the plan. An updated Implementation Plan will be published in the fall of 2014. The implementation planning process is just beginning for I-35 in Hays and Williamson Counties. Pending public support and the availability of funding, some improvements may be implemented as early as 2014.

What concepts are being considered for the downtown Austin section of I-35?

The I-35 Capital Area Improvement Plan presented two concepts for incorporating mobility Improvements in the downtown section of I-35, called Modified Existing and Depressed. Developed over two years with extensive public and stakeholder outreach, each concept presents the same improvements in mobility using different roadway configurations. “Mobility improvements” is a blanket term for improvements that actually contribute to the function of the roadway and traffic movement. Through downtown, these proposed improvements include the addition of a future transportation corridor through the section and collector-distributor or CD roads in select sections. Other proposed improvements include ramp modifications, frontage road improvements, improvements to east-west mobility and bicycle and pedestrian improvements.

The Modified Existing concept incorporates mobility improvements in a similar configuration to the existing roadway, meaning the basic structure of the highway will be the same as it is today. The Depressed concept incorporates mobility improvements by depressing the mainlanes of the roadway from approximately 12th St. to south of Cesar Chavez. The appearance of the depressed roadway would be significantly different than it is today; the mainlanes would be rebuilt below surface level. A modification on the second concept adds capped areas in several locations over the depressed freeway. These caps function like a lid over the roadway, allowing for infrastructure to be constructed on top of the depressed freeway. The use of the potential caps has not been determined but current renderings show park space. The caps can either be a part of initial construction or added at a later date.