Rebuilt MLK Boulevard Bridge Fully Operational After Two Years of Construction

Most Austinites would say that the ongoing expansion of I-35 has only made their daily commutes more troublesome. And that will likely be the case for years to come. However, progress is being made, as the rebuilt Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard bridge over I-35 is now fully operational, Texas Department of Transportation spokesperson Bradley Wheelis told the Chronicle. 

After the bridge’s lanes have shifted and temporarily closed over the last two years, workers finished configuring the lanes Sunday, Aug. 9, atop the overpass that serves as a gateway connecting the Eastside to DKR Stadium, Moody Center, and the rest of Downtown. Final touches like pavement markers and permanent lane striping will be laid by December. 

Since the configuration of the lanes, construction crews have begun installing shared-use paths and wider sidewalks, as well as barriers separating drivers from pedestrians and cyclists. The additions are intended to improve safety and will be completed “in the next month or so,” Wheelis said. “We wanted to make sure that we got traffic moving in its final configuration, especially considering that the new school year is beginning and UT football is about to get underway.” 

The $34.4 million undertaking is part of TxDOT’s wider I-35 Capital Express Central project, also known as I-35 CapEx Central. It has been reported that TxDOT will rebuild at least 14 bridges that cross the interstate, many of which will include the pedestrian and cyclist-friendly features of the MLK Boulevard bridge, according to Wheelis.

Several pedestrian-only bridges will also be constructed during the Lady Bird Lake, University, and Downtown segments of the project, including two flanking the overpass that crosses Lady Bird Lake, Wheelis said. “That’s a step in protecting our most vulnerable road users, who are pedestrians.”

TxDOT is also hoping to reduce traffic congestion by introducing two new high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on the interstate “to encourage people to carpool if they can, or take the bus if they can,” Wheelis continued. “Anytime we embark on a new project, we’re taking in all users of the infrastructure. We want to make sure that we are addressing all modes of transportation.”

The TxDOT spokesperson said the company is working closely with UT and the Moody Center to limit congestion caused by the ongoing project during events that are expected to be particularly busy, with lane closures related to the MLK Boulevard segment to be limited mostly to nighttime. “On UT home games, we try not to do any work at all so that traffic is free-flowing during those events while people are coming and going.”

Crews are scheduled to begin rebuilding the east-west crossings in the University and Downtown segments in 2027, according to TxDOT.

“At one point, we’re gonna have the entire Capital Express Central Project underway except for the MLK bridge because that will be completed,” Wheelis said, adding that TxDOT decided to complete this portion of the project first, which covers a particularly high-traffic section of the I-35 corridor, to ensure that residents still had a reliable way to cross the interstate while the other bridges are under construction.

The city has committed $104 million for TxDOT to construct the foundations for the Cap and Stitch program, according to Wheelis, which will sink the stretch of I-35 that runs through Central Austin to connect the east and west sides with walkable decks that will feature green spaces and other amenities. 

I-35 CapEx Central is expected to be completed by early 2033 and is funded by TxDOT and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. And while the flow of Downtown traffic will be slightly alleviated with the completion of the MLK bridge, Wheelis said that for the foreseeable future, there will “be a good chunk of I-35 through the heart of Austin that’s going to be under construction.”

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