AUSTIN, Texas — Roadwork continues across Central Texas as the area continues to grow. Now, the University of Texas at Austin is joining in.
Last week, the UT Austin Board of Regents and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) approved a $13.5 million deposit for a cap that will cover portions of Interstate 35.
The cover will stretch from 15th Street to Dean Keeton Street, connecting two sides of the university that are currently separated by a highway.
In total, the project is expected to cost approximately $395 million, not including $10 million per year for maintenance on tunnel jet fans and any additional installation fees.
UT's funding will support the design phase of the project, which, when complete, should create more than 17 acres of additional space on university grounds for new buildings, parks and other facilities.
The recent approval is part of a larger project headed by the city of Austin, which includes plans to add covers from Cesar Chavez to Seventh Street, 11th Street to 12th Street and 38 1/2 Street to an area near Airport Boulevard.
In total, the city is projected to spend more than $800 million total on highway covers, with plans to utilize grants and loans to help fund the project.
Austin citizens could face increased residential taxes that would also support the project, depending on the turnout of an upcoming bond election.
And that's not all. Soon, TxDOT will be working on three I-35 Capital Express projects in the north, central and south parts of the Austin region. In recent months, some residents have expressed their discontent with the planned expansions.
However, despite pushback from groups like ReThink 35, the developments are projected to move forward without delay.