Austin is currently undergoing a major transformation of its downtown infrastructure, focusing on key projects that aim to reshape transportation and community connectivity. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the City of Austin are collaborating on significant upgrades along the I-35 corridor, an area long known for heavy construction and traffic congestion.
Paco Guerrero, P.E., Vice President at Pape-Dawson, highlighted the scope of these improvements: “Austin is undergoing a major facelift, with five large-scale infrastructure improvements.” While expansions to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant will increase regional capacity, three other projects directly impact downtown: I-35 Capital Express Central, the Austin Convention Center Redevelopment, and Project Connect.
These initiatives involve lowering parts of I-35 by about 50 feet to create new east-west connections for vehicles and pedestrians. This design aims to remove barriers between neighborhoods that have historically been separated by the highway. The convention center will be modernized and expanded to better connect with surrounding districts and support tourism. Project Connect introduces new light rail and commuter rail options intended to promote sustainable transportation.
Public input has influenced project planning. Stacey Gould, P.E., Practice Leader at Pape-Dawson, stated: “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 this work involves relocating water and wastewater utilities beneath city streets. Guerrero explained: “Our role is to find a place for all the water and wastewater utilities that crisscross I-35.” Coordinating utility planning across overlapping projects helps minimize disruptions. Guerrero added: “To shut down a large transmission main line only once, rather than three times, will save Austin a lot of headaches, time, and money.”
Lowering I-35 creates additional engineering challenges related to gravity-based wastewater systems. Gould described how engineers needed to reroute lines outside the I-35 corridor into city streets—a first for such projects in Austin—funded in part by TxDOT.
The approach taken in Austin draws from lessons learned in cities like Dallas but emphasizes local needs such as robust funding strategies and careful sequencing among project phases. Guerrero remarked: “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 noted interdependencies between roadway design and utility planning.
Accurate data has played an important role as well. Guerrero said: “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.”
In coming years drivers can expect ongoing construction delays as work continues throughout downtown Austin. However these efforts are designed not just for immediate improvement but also long-term growth as they seek to reconnect communities divided by past infrastructure decisions.
