May 3rd 2020 | Posted in Transportation by Texas Government Insider

The Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) approved $3.4 billion in funding for the central section of the I-35 Capital Express Project on April 30.

Commissioners voted, 3-1, to update the 2020 Unified Transportation Program (UTP) to allocate funding to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) project to widen Interstate 35 in Austin

I-35 Capital Express Central Map

Full funding for the central segment of the project will require more than $600 million from TxDOT funds previously allocated to the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), which would need to be reprioritized from planned projects that have not been let. The project is CAMPO’s top priority project for the region. The third component of the funding is about $300 million that the TTC will consider when it votes on the 2021 Unified Transportation Program in August 2020.

With full funding, TxDOT will be able to add two continuous non-tolled managed lanes in each direction along the 7.9-mile section on I-35 from U.S. 290 East to U.S. 290 West/SH71. TxDOT also would build additional auxiliary lanes in various places and frontage roads.