I-35 Capital Express South Project approved for construction

Staff Reports

AUSTIN – The Texas Transportation Commission has approved a $547.6 million contract to build the I-35 Capital Express South project. The project will add two high-occupancy-vehicle lanes in each direction along I-35 from SH 71/Ben White Boulevard to SH 45 Southeast.

In addition to the new capacity, the project will also construct intersection bypass lanes and improve pedestrian and bicycle paths. Fluor Corporation was awarded the construction contract.

The Commission also approved a $3.5 million contract to extend the pedestrian barrier along I-35. The barrier is designed to deter pedestrians from trying to cross the interstate and instead use crosswalks for pedestrian access.

Once complete, the pedestrian barrier will extend along 25 miles of I-35 from SH 45 Southeast to Greenlawn Boulevard in Round Rock. In other recent action by the Commission:

• SH 45 North will be resurfaced between Pecan Park Boulevard in Cedar Park and I-35. The $7.1 million project will mill the existing surface, make needed pavement repairs, and re-top the highway with a thin-overlay mix (TOM) of specially designed asphalt. Lone Star Paving will begin the work this summer on the 7.9 mile stretch of highway and it is expected to take about five months to complete.
• Lone Star Paving won a similar contract for $1 million for work on SH 130 between FM 969 and Hog Eye Road. Work will also begin this summer and is expected to last about a month.
• New traffic signals will be installed along FM 812 at SH 130 and FM 2430. The $459,000 contract was awarded to Austin Traffic Signal Construction. Construction should begin later this year.
• SH 80 in eastern Hays County will get a 12-foot center-turn lane and 8-foot shoulders added to the existing 4-lane road between SH 21 and CR 266 at the Caldwell County line. Hunter Industries was awarded the $7.1 million contract and work will begin this summer and is expected to last about 14 months.
• US 290 is the major east-west highway in Gillespie County, carrying traffic between Austin and Fredericksburg. A 6.4-mile section of the highway east of Old San Antonio Road to west of Wildseed Farms will be widened to include a continuous center-turn lane and shoulders. MPB, Inc. will carry out the $9.7 million contract over 18 months, starting this summer.