HOV construction traffic, other future improvements coming to I-35, north Austin
TxDOT said 80% of the traffic along I-35 through Austin is local traffic, and drivers should expect to travel through a construction zone on the interstate for many years to come.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Construction on I-35 in north Austin has really ramped up over the last few months as crews work on the I-35 Capital Express North Project.
Eventually, by 2029, there will be high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes in the center of I-35 in both directions between Hwy 290 and SH 45.
Drivers on I-35 in North Austin around Braker Lane and Tech Ridge frequently get stuck in traffic as construction crews begin to work in the middle of the highway for the future HOV lanes.
"Now, folks are starting to see some changes out there, barriers are moving. They're going to notice some traffic pattern changes," Bradley Wheelis from the Texas Department of Transportation Austin office said.
TxDOT said drivers along the northbound I-35 corridor would notice the Walnut Creek Bridge was being rebuilt and reconstructed.
TxDOT said it was funding the $606 million improvement project in hopes that it would shift how people commute on the interstate through Austin.
"The key to this program, all three projects, the I-35 Capital Express program, is to move traffic more efficiently," TxDOT said.
Who can use the HOV lanes?
According to TxDOT, the HOV lanes, otherwise known as transit lanes, would be for:
- busses
- vehicles with two or more people (i.e. carpool travelers, families)
"The buses can use the HOV lanes, and if you've got a more reliable bus, then we start to see some mode shift where people say, 'I can take the bus because I'm not going to be at all this is 35 traffic. I know I can get from point A to point B, a little quicker,'" TxDOT said.
The department said the HOV lanes would help move more people in fewer vehicles. Fewer vehicles on the road could decrease the amount of traffic and congestion.
In addition to the HOV lanes, TxDOT said it was reconstructing bridges, like the one currently under construction at Walnut Creek. The department said it was also adding a diverging diamond interchange at Wells Branch Parkway, similar to the one at Parmer Lane, and new pedestrian and bicycle paths.
"I-35 has not seen a significant upgrade in nearly a half-century, so we've gone 50 years without accommodating the extra traffic that we've seen," Wheelis said. "We've seen tremendous growth, and the projections are—we're going to see even more."
TxDOT said 80% of the traffic along I-35 through Austin is local traffic, and drivers should expect to travel through a construction zone on the interstate for many years to come.