Austin Transportation and Public Works received $105 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to advance the construction of a highway cap over I-35 at Cesar Chavez and Fourth Streets as part of its Our Future 35 initiative, the city announced on March 11. 

“Today’s investment represents a very hopeful development regarding a troubling highway expansion,” Rep. Lloyd Doggett said in a press release. “It offers important opportunities for our community.” 

Caps are wide platforms built over highways to connect land and may feature green space and buildings. The city of Austin is collaborating with the Texas Department of Transportation within Our Future 35 to install several caps by lowering I-35 in downtown Austin. According to the city’s announcement, its planned cap at Cesar Chavez Street could create “a potentially uninterrupted walking and biking corridor across I-35 at Third Street.”

Emily Risinger, director of planning and urban design at the Downtown Austin Alliance, said that caps above I-35 will allow over 15 acres of land to be used for community spaces.

“This development, along with ‘stitches,’ such as bridges, will spur a fundamental transformation of the downtown we know today and will connect people to jobs, services and each other,” Risinger said in an email. 

Jack Flagler, a public information officer with Austin Transportation and Public Works, said the city estimates the construction of all identified cap and stitch locations will cost $600 to $800 million. The locations include plans with the University of Texas to build highway caps from 15th Street to Dean Keeton Street, connecting UT’s main campus to University properties across I-35.

“Though capping I-35 cannot address the harm done by the construction of the highway, our goal is to reconnect East and West Austin through enhanced safety and mobility while building amenities that will benefit the Austin community,” Flagler said in an email.