Thread by @KUTnathan

Get ready for five years of construction on I-35 in North Austin. A $606 million expansion project is getting underway now from U.S. 290 East to SH45 in Round Rock.

Let's take a closer look at what's going on here.

kut.org/2023-03-29/con…

This TxDOT video is probably the quickest way to visualize what their plans are. Basically:
- One HOV lane in each direction
- Reconstruct six bridges at Grand Avenue, Howard, Rundburg, Braker, Wells Branch Parkway and frontage road bridge over Walnut Creek

Wells Branch Parkway bridge will actually be converted to a diverging diamond interchange (DDI). You may have already seen the DDI at Parmer Lane that opened in 2021. kut.org/transportation…

Here's another before/after view of what TxDOT has planned for I-35 in North Austin.

Basically, in each direction you can expect:
- three to four general purpose lanes
- one non-tolled HOV lane
- a 10-foot wide outside shoulder
- a 4 to 10-foot wide inside shoulder
- three frontage lanes
- an 8 to 10 foot wide path for pedestrians and cyclists.

The project includes lanes to bypass intersections at Howard Lane (northbound), Yager Lane/Tech Ridge Blvd (northbound) and Rundberg Lane (northbound and southbound).

All told, the new footprint of the highway would typically be 300 to 320 feet wide.

The highway is gobbling up at least 17 acres of additional land. Five business are forced out: GTO Auto Wheels, Pickup Heaven, A-1 Tires, Thermo King of Austin and the offices of another auto business.

The old right-of-way is indicated with a red line. New ROW with a blue line.

TxDOT says they'll build those paths for pedestrians and cyclists along both sides of I-35 "where feasible."

A five-foot wide on-street bike lane with 2-foot buffer is supposed to be installed over I-35 at:
- Grand Avenue Parkway
- Howard Lane
- Braker Lane
- Rundberg Lane

I'd like to fact-check TxDOT when they say this is the "third most congested" highway statewide.

@TTITAMU's annual report only puts I-35 from Ben White to 290 East as the third worst. mobility.tamu.edu/texas-most-con…

This stretch doesn't crack the top 100 most congested.

More traffic means more noise. TxDOT had planned noise barriers for:
- Lantower Ambrosio Apartments
- The Vineyard Apts
- North Oaks Neighborhood
- Cricket Hollow Apts
- Starburst and Orbit Apts
- Woodland Heights Apts
- Lantower Ambrosio Apts
- Embrey Apts
Here are the sizes.

Speaking of noise, heavy machinery can be loud. Construction will mostly happen during the day. The contractor, Pulice Construction, Inc, is supposed to "make every reasonable effort to minimize construction noise."

Realistically, only so much can be done.

A 700-year old tree is close to this project north of Braker Lane in the Northern Tools Parking lot. Michael Fossum with the Austin Heritage Tree Foundation asked TxDOT not to harm the tree or its root system. TxDOT says the tree won't be affected.

Yesterday, I went to a groundbreaking ceremony outside a TxDOT office at I-35 and U.S. 183. Officials gave speeches while protestors chanted in the background.

For the shovel photo, they did a 3-2-1 countdown so confetti would blast out of a tube right as they tossed the dirt.

The protestors with @rethink35 stood at the edge of TxDOT property and chanted things like:
"No more highways."
"No more freeways."
"When the air we breath is under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!"
"Healthy children are their right. This is why we have to fight."

The protestors could be heard throughout the ceremony. Here's what it sounded like was Texas Transportation Commission chair Bruce Bugg was speaking.

Bugg was standing at a podium under a tent where officials and TxDOT employees were gathered.

The I-35 North project been criticized by the Austin City Council, perhaps most fiercely by District 4's @CMChitoVela. He has demanded TxDOT add more east-west crossings over I-35 for cars, bikes and pedestrians. TxDOT is not.

This is from a presentation he made on Feb 21, 2023.

A broader critique of the I-35 CapEx north project stems from a concern that expanding highway capacity will incentivize more driving as people take advantage of faster travel times in the short-term, leading to an overall increase in traffic in the long-term. #induceddemand

Or as Ashley Keith put it to TxDOT during a 2021 public hearing:

"DO NOT BUILD ANY MORE HIGHWAYS THROUGH
AUSTIN. DO NOT EXPAND ANY HIGHWAY THAT
RUNS THROUGH AUSTIN.
Highways cause traffic. Why would anyone want
MORE traffic?"

TxDOT: "Thank you for your comment. Comment noted."

I asked TxDOT Austin District Engineer Tucker Ferguson yesterday about induced demand — where highway expansions incentivize more driving by reducing travel times which in turn leads to longer travel times with more vehicles jammed in traffic.

This was his response.

I think both things can be true. There can be "latent demand," as TxDOT refers to it. But lowering the price of something (reducing travel times) can generate more demand for that thing (I-35).

Anyway, I think that's enough for now. Please click on the story. Let me know if you have any questions about this project. I might be able to track down an answer.

kut.org/2023-03-29/con…