Will I-35 expansion fix historic segregation in Austin?

KXAN reviewed years' worth of archived newspaper clippings and photos as well as sifted through historic city documents to learn how East Avenue and, subsequently, I-35, came to be.

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Driving through the heart of Austin, a symphony of tires squelching, horns honking and the steady hum of traffic sounds along Interstate 35 most hours of the day. It’s a far cry from what the corridor once was more than 60 years ago – a roadway named East Avenue, an entry point to Austin’s Black community.

Within the Texas Department of Transportation's own I-35 project documents, officials acknowledged the historic "racial divide" of the corridor. TxDOT claimed the project provided the opportunity to "remove the visual separation within Austin" and "reconnect communities and spaces east and west of I-35."

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