The international infrastructure group, Balfour Beatty, announced on Tuesday that they have been awarded a $746 million contract to reconstruct a section of Interstate-35 (I-35) in Austin, Texas. The contract was awarded by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
The construction and civil engineering firm will reconstruct up to 4 kilometers of the busy road(s) in downtown Austin. Upon completion, there will be a new bridge, 8 new general purpose lanes, a new intersection, and upgraded access roads. The bridge will cross the Lady Bird lake that sits on the Colorado River. This will replace the 68 years old bridge that still serves its purpose across the 416 acre lake.
The revamp of the interstate is expected to improve the transport network, as other separate projects like Project Connect also take shape in city.
Balfour Beatty’s project will be part of the I-35 Capital Express Project that is aimed at improving the interstate road.
Project timeline
The project will run for 8 years – commencing in the first half of 2025 and getting completed in 2033. According to their press release, over 150 jobs will have been created by the time the project reaches its “peak”.
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The I-35 Capital Express Project
The I-35 Capital Express Project in the city of Austin, as aforementioned, is focused on revamping the section of the I-35 that lies in the Austin area. The road is a busy one, seeing nearly 200,000 vehicle trips daily.
This “link-road” majorly connects Austin and Central Texas, together with other regions. The transportation department of the state of Texas thus made it a “priority” to partner with Austin Transportation Department for the oversight of the designing and construction of the project.
The project has three sub-projects: one encompassing the North, the South, and another the Central. Total costs for the project scour as high as $4.6 billion cumulatively, with the Central Project raking the most – $4.5 billion. The I-35 Central Project will have its milestone as the removal of the upper decks of the road and a height reconsideration that will lower the highway.
Why the I-35 needs a revamp
According to the project overseers, the interstate road(s) need reconstruction because of the following:
1. Improved safety
According to the Austin’s Vision Zero analysis, more that 20 pedestrians and cyclists were killed, with more than 20 others injured in just 5 years – between the periods of June 2016 and May 2021. The five-year death toll on the I-35 shoots up again when the more than 40 motorists killed in vehicle crashes are taken into account.
The redesign and reconstruction in the Austin Interstate-35 contract will see to the modernization and improvement of safety features on the road(s). There is hope that this will keep road users safe, and most importantly alive.
2. Improved mobility
The interstate road was first constructed in the 1950’s, making it over 70 years old. Its functionality is a feature that is notably depreciated. A good revamp by the TxDOT and Austin Transport Department is definitely needed. This is expected to reduce congestion, and improve access to the different parts of the region served by I-35.
3. Specific focus on improved access to the East-West region
This is exclusive to the I-35 Central Project mentioned above.
The Senior VP and COO of Balfour Beatty in the US, Mark Johnnie, also mentioned their devotion to the project in a press statement. He had the following to say, “We’re committed to delivering this vital transportation solution with our best-in-class resources, ultimately improving mobility for travelers in the Austin area”.
