New renderings depict trails, markets, event space that could top I-35 highway caps

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Event space, artwork, play areas and trails over Interstate 35? Those are some of the amenities that could someday top coverings over the highway.

Austin’s Our Future 35 team hosted its second open house Saturday, which featured updated conceptual rendering designs based on feedback from residents at a May open house as well as a community survey and engagement events throughout the summer.

Transportation leaders outlined a proposed amenity plan for each of potential highway caps: Cesar Chavez to Fourth streets, Fourth to Seventh streets, 11th to 12th streets, 38th 1/2 to 41st streets, 41st Street to the Red Line Trail, the Red Line Trail to Airport Boulevard. Officials also highlighted a possible stitch — or a widened east-west connection across the highway — at Holly Street.

The program could add up to 30 acres of community space over the soon-to-be-expanded interstate via the Texas Department of Transportation’s I-35 Capital Express Central project. That project is an estimated $4.5 billion, eight-mile-long overhaul of the interstate corridor near downtown Austin.

Here’s a breakdown of residents’ top choices for amenities, by cap.

Cesar Chavez to Fourth streets cap

Residential feedback outlined the following as preferred amenities on this cap:

• Active play canopy
• Hammock grove
• Covered open-air market and dining space
• Pavilion and splash pad
• East Avenue trail
• Mister-filled garden

Fourth to Seventh streets cap

Atop Fourth to Seventh streets, top requests from residents included developing a pop-up space, an outdoor dining and venue space, an elevated walkway and “skateway,” a skating area, an outdoor dining and stage space as well as a sculpture garden.

11th to 12th streets cap

Over 11th and 12th streets, that cap could one day feature terraced seating, mural and exhibition space, a civic plaza, a play area and shaded parks and native plants, based on top community feedback shared in open house documents.

38th 1/2 to 41st streets cap

Envisioned by Austinites to cover 38th 1/2 Street to 41st Street are a market plaza, sports courts, an interpretive garden, a lawn, picnic tables and a beer garden. Those were the top suggestions shared with project leads through community feedback.

41st Street to the Red Line Trail caps

Community feedback flagged top desires as picnic tables, a green roof, an adventure park, a community plaza, a performance lawn and a pedestrian bridge to cover this section of the project.

Red Line Trail to Airport Boulevard caps

The appetite for this northern portion of the I-35 cap and stitch program included requests for an exercise park, running track, a dog park, terraced seating and bicycle parking, per open house documents.

Holly Street stitch

Residents’ key requests for this southern portion of the Our Future 35 program centered around amenities like food trucks, dog parks and a possible East Avenue Trail.

Next steps for the program

Moving forward, Our Future 35 team leaders told KXAN earlier this month officials are ramping up work on the program’s vision plan, which is slated to be presented to Austin City Council on Nov. 7. It is anticipated that council will also consider adopting the plan at that time.

Later in November, the Our Future 35 team will return to council chambers to discuss necessary funding commitments needing to be made with TxDOT to solidify program developments.

“Some of those [funding commitment] figures are still being evaluated as [TxDOT officials] continue to design and engineer their plans for the CapEx project — especially some of those roadway elements that the cap and stitch program will be asked to pay some funding towards,” Brianna Frey, program manager of the strategic projects team within the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department, told KXAN earlier this month. “But we hope to finalize those numbers before we go to council in late November.”

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