AUSTIN, Texas- The Austin City Council is set to decide in the coming weeks whether to allocate millions in local funding for the proposed cap-and-stitch project on Interstate 35, as federal support for the initiative remains uncertain.
The project, part of the City of Austin’s “Our Future 35” initiative, is designed to enhance mobility and reconnect neighborhoods divided by the I-35 corridor.
It proposes the construction of “caps” and “stitches”—deck plazas and community spaces built over sections of the highway—as part of a larger plan by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to widen and lower portions of the interstate through central Austin.
Council members are reviewing how a recent freeze on federal infrastructure funding could affect the project’s timeline and viability.
Inquiries have been submitted to assess the scope, benefits, and financial requirements of the proposal.
City leaders have emphasized the project’s potential to address long-standing community divisions caused by the original construction of I-35.