Austin eyes I-35 project as ‘once-in-a-generational' chance to reconnect downtown, eastside

In about a decade's time, the sights and sounds of Interstate 35 near downtown Austin could soon be masked by parkland, art displays and community exhibits floating above the highway.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — In about a decade's time, the sights and sounds of Interstate 35 near downtown Austin could soon be masked by parkland, art displays and community exhibits floating above the highway.

It's a vision Austin city leaders are in the thick of bringing to fruition, in tandem with a major expansion project on behalf of the Texas Department of Transportation. That $4.5 billion project — set to begin later this year — will be a near-decade-long effort to widen eight miles of the interstate from U.S. Highway 290 East in the north down south to State Highway 71 and Ben White Boulevard.

Click here to explore the full multimedia project