And yes we need an expanded I35. It's not just for local commuters. I35 through Texas is hugely important for freight traffic to/from Mexico, as well as statewide travelers.

Name one other non-Texan major city that builds highways the way TxDOT does with massive, repetitive parallel frontage lanes. It's ridiculous and a giant waste of space, serving to only *induce* demand.

They're giving Austin the Katy/Houston I-10 treatment with this abomination.
There is no hope of ever reconnecting neighborhoods and street grids when TxDOT continues to design and build highways like its still 1964.

Look at it this way, it's not gonna happen. This is just another "visionary upgrade plan" that won't get the adequate funds needed to begin construction just like all the previous I-35 plans before it. They even say in the article that it's subject to change due to community input, studies and so forth. It's a never ending cycle especially for the stretch through Downtown. 8 billion dollar's, does anyone think this project will get the funding they are requesting?

Exactly! Reality is access roads cause many of the traffic issues on expressways. On and off ramps in terrible locations and as you stated, they are designed to increase demand and create congestion. High amounts of retail or restaurant establishments built along them exacerbate the problem. They take up way more space than an expressway should take and they don't provide relief from bumper to bumper traffic on the expressway since everyone ends up getting stuck on the access roads causing more backups. If only we could remove them completely. Sure we'll still have traffic just like Mopac through central Austin does but entrances and exits will be controlled and there will still be the option to use secondary roads to bypass backups as opposed to getting trapped on a stupid access road. Basically just like every other large city outside this state.

Also it's pretty funny that they show this upgage vision with bumper to bumper traffic and the new managed lanes fairly empty. That's the one thing they got right about their vision if it were to happen lol.:shuffle::tongue4::ack:

If I’m reading this right, they’re only adding two lanes to the section through downtown? Whoop. Dee. Doo.

They are adding 8 lanes in downtown. 4 managed, 2 mainland, 2 frontage. People make too much about how many lanes though. It's more about traffic flow and how cars get on and off the highway.

Hard to say but this was the first step. TxDot wants to see local support. It'll be up to them on if they will fund the balance and when. We might learn more in July at the next 10 year funding meeting.

We only get 1 chance to redo i-35 thru downtown. It has to be done right. And I believe cut and cap is the only right way to do it.

I agree. COA should start gauging interest now in people being willing to pay for it. Would you vote for it in a referendum if it cost 30 million? That number is just a guess btw.

I disagree. They can go around Austin. This stretch of road is for us.

I'd rather keep I-35 the same (or destroy it completely) than institute their vision.

Cut and cap or nothing!!

It's an interstate. They're not going around. Especially when the only other option is a toll road.

And this vision does not preclude cut and cap. It's already showing the cut. It's up to Austin to cap.

People here have already explained why it's a travesty. The whole point of cutting and capping is to make a nice, calm, pedestrian-friendly boulevard on the road above (example below, from Boston). This TxDOT proposal would solidity the road above as a dangerous highway. If it weren't for the expanded lanes above, this proposal wouldn't be a big deal at all.

https://i.imgur.com/vbEfnMlh.jpg

Actually, you know what, guys? I'm kinda coming around on this proposal (assuming the city can/will cap it). I can admit when I'm wrong. The video is really misleading because it doesn't show functioning stoplights on the streets above so it makes them look like fast-moving highways but they wouldn't be because there are lights at all of these intersections.

It almost seems like TxDOT would be supplying the money for the "cut" portion of our desired "cut and cap" idea. Am I missing something?

https://i.imgur.com/urQgIWP.png

Guys, this is the exact same thing we saw years ago except without the caps which is still an option.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PD68vSLEMM

How have I never seen this before?? THIS IS AMAZING. I almost want to cry at the thought that we may actually get this. One gripe: expand the caps.

THIS is the proposal downtown deserves.

But I wonder at what distance a cap becomes a tunnel?
Meaning, all the supporting infrastructure like exhaust fans, fire suppression, etc.

Actually, I'm beginning to wonder if the engineering will be done in such a way as to allow for the caps. The response on this document is, to me, not a good indication that the city will even be allowed to or able to construct caps at all:

http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot...pre-rfp-qa.pdf

"No deck park design is planned"

I.E. my reading of this is that the engineering design they are currently pursuing would preclude the later construction of caps. Please convince me otherwise.

TxDot told CAMPO that caps are still possible 2 days ago.it just has to be city funded

Do you mean expand along 35, or do you mean wider?

Looking at that video just posted, it looks like the gaps (8th - 11th & 12th - 15th) are due to the entrance and exit ramps. The entrance ramp goes up and over the exit ramp. It may be too tall to cap it.