Austin is undergoing significant changes to its downtown infrastructure, with several large-scale projects aimed at improving transportation and connectivity. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the City of Austin are working together on these efforts, which focus on reshaping how people move through and between neighborhoods previously divided by Interstate 35.
According to Paco Guerrero, P.E., Vice President at Pape-Dawson, “Austin is undergoing a major facelift, with five large-scale infrastructure improvements.” Two of these projects—the expansions to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant—are designed to increase regional capacity but do not directly affect I-35. The remaining three projects are centered in downtown Austin: the I-35 Capital Express Central project, the redevelopment of the Austin Convention Center, and Project Connect.
The I-35 Capital Express Central project involves lowering sections of the freeway by about 50 feet and creating new east–west vehicle and pedestrian connections. This aims to remove barriers that have separated neighborhoods for decades. The convention center will be modernized and expanded to better integrate with nearby districts and support Austin’s visitor economy. Project Connect will introduce new light rail and commuter rail options to encourage sustainable transportation.
Stacey Gould, P.E., Practice Leader at Pape-Dawson, emphasized community involvement in shaping these plans: “They want it to feel like one city from one side to the other, and the depressed main lanes, Cap and Stitch connectivity, and vehicular bridges at grade across the highway will promote that feeling.”
Much of the work takes place underground as engineers relocate water and wastewater utilities that cross under I-35. Guerrero explained their approach: “Our role is to find a place for all the water and wastewater utilities that crisscross I-35.” Coordinating utility planning across overlapping projects has helped minimize disruptions. “To shut down a large transmission main line only once, rather than three times, will save Austin a lot of headaches, time, and money,” said Guerrero.
Lowering I-35 presented unique challenges for wastewater systems because gravity-based flows had to be redirected outside the corridor but within city rights-of-way. Gould noted this led to a first-of-its-kind solution: extending utility relocations beyond TxDOT property into city streets for several blocks when necessary. “It’s a unique part of the project that came from our schematic design,” she said.
The strategy draws on lessons from other cities such as Dallas, where Klyde Warren Park reconnected urban neighborhoods divided by highways. Guerrero pointed out that sustained financial commitment is crucial for such initiatives: “That hasn’t been a problem here, since it’s been a TxDOT priority, but the money you spend in the design phase can multiply in savings later during construction.” Gould added that progress depends on completing related phases sequentially: “If the roadway design isn’t complete, then we can’t finish the drainage and utilities design. Any changes in roadway design will cascade to other designs, too.”
Guerrero also credited Austin’s robust GIS system for providing accurate data early in planning: “Luckily, Austin has a robust GIS system with lots of information, and TxDOT has done an excellent job of gathering Surface Utility Engineering (SUE), geotechnical, and survey data along the corridor.”
While drivers may experience years of traffic delays due to lane shifts and detours as construction continues downtown, these disruptions are part of broader efforts to reconnect neighborhoods and modernize infrastructure for future growth.
