What is happening to I-35, and what are caps?

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is rebuilding I-35 through Austin over the next decade, perhaps completing the project by 2032. Demolition of buildings on the frontage road is well-underway. This project will remove the upper decks, and all highway lanes will be submerged below ground level. Drawing on the success of similar projects across Texas and the county, TxDOT can design the highway so that major sections (totaling over 20 acres) can be tunneled and covered by caps. These caps would be at the same level as surrounding properties and can be covered by parks, neighborhood amenities, and 1-2 story buildings. The City of Austin led an extensive public engagement process last year to generate what the caps could look like. 

While TxDOT is funding the highway rebuild, the money for caps has to come from the City of Austin. And while the City has already received a federal grant and a state loan to help pay for part of the caps in the downtown area, the City of Austin still needs to authorize additional funds for all the caps.

What is Austin City Council deciding in May 2025, and what are “Roadway Elements”?

As soon as late May 2025, Austin City Council will vote on whether or not to commit to funding some or all of the Roadway Elements necessary for future caps. Roadway Elements are the foundational, structural and fire-prevention elements that any future cap would require (other elements include the horizontal supports and amenities on the caps which can be built at a later date). TxDOT has to include the Roadway Elements in the highway construction now in order for caps to be built at any point in the future. And so, while Austin does not have to commit to all of the funding for the entire caps now, it does have to commit to the funding for the Roadway Elements by May 2025. 

If Roadway Elements aren’t funded now, can the highway ever be capped? 

No. If Austin City Council doesn’t fund Roadway Elements now, then Austin can't ever build caps (until the highway is rebuilt again in 50+ years). If Austin does fund Roadway Elements now, then Austin can continue to pursue support and additional funding to get them completed by 2032. There are other funding scenarios for the Roadway Elements, but the easiest and least costly scenario is to fund all the Roadway Elements now.

Are some of the caps already funded?

Yes, UT is responsible funding its caps from MLK to Dean Keeton, and they have approved their funding for the Roadway Elements.

Which neighborhoods are on board to Fund The Caps?

The ones we know so far include:

• East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood - Letter to City Council

• Cherrywood Neighborhood Association

• Hyde Park Neighborhood Association

• Mueller Neighborhood Association

• Delwood 2 Neighborhood Association

• North Loop Neighborhood Association

• Friendly Fiends on Haskell Street

• United East Austin Coalition

Who made this website?

This website was created by Adam Sparks, a longtime Austinite and Cherrywood resident with no connection to the I-35 project other than wanting the best possible outcome for I-35. Recognizing that this once-in-a-lifetime decision was coming before city council with incredibly little public awareness, I decided to quickly put together this site to facilitate the process of helping Austinites learning about the I-35 cap funding situation and getting them to make their voices heard before the Dec. 12th meeting. This work is also being supported by Lindsay Nicol, my neighbor and friend.

What is the difference between a “cap” and a “stitch”?

Here is the definitions per Our Future 35