A 10-year, $4.5 billion construction project to expand Austin’s Interstate 35 (I-35) has been approved after years of debates, protests, and controversy. The majority of the highway hasn’t changed since its construction in 1967 even though Austin’s current population is an estimated 90% bigger than at the time. One suggested solution to the ever-increasing congestion is an expansion of the highway, according to Austintexas.gov. 

The planned expansion includes the addition of 10 lanes in some areas of downtown Austin, many more exits off the highway, and 54 acres of land to the original footprint of the interstate. In the process, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will be tearing down the upper decks of a long stretch of highway that runs from Manor Road to Airport Boulevard. The interstate will also force out more than 100 homes and businesses to accommodate the big changes and their construction.

One of the businesses that will be forced to relocate due to the expansion is Stars Cafe, located at the corner of the highway and E. 31st St.. Dietrich Armstrong is the owner-operator of this cafe and has to accomplish the task of finding a new location for the restaurant. 

“We’ve looked at some places to move to nearby and everything is two to three times our normal rent right now,” Armstrong said. “So, unfortunately, what’s going to happen is we are either going to move to a place where we’ve priced out our normal customers […] or we’re going to have to move somewhere far away […] where our employees are not going to be able to show up.”

Elena Morales-Grahl volunteers at Rethink35, an organization that is currently fighting against this expansion. She believes Rethink35 will benefit Austin in terms of the problems that arise because of this expansion.

“I was struck by knowing how much better and prettier the city could be,” Morales-Grahl said. “I liked the mission of Rethink35. I think that the problem in Austin is not only transportation but also an environmental and racial equity problem. And so I appreciated the way Rethink 35 sort addresses all of those points and can combine a lot of issues into one and try to help.”

Morales-Grahl explained the steps Rethink35 is taking to prevent the expansion to protect the rights of the community and preserve the environment. Their efforts include filing a lawsuit and a civil rights complaint to halt the project.

“The big thing Rethink35 has done is file a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Transportation and a civil rights complaint,” Morales-Grahl said. “The lawsuit is a physical environmental lawsuit that claims that the Texas Department of Transportation did not adequately look at the air quality effects of increased cars… And then the civil rights complaint states that the highway was built with discrimination in mind and that the expansion is furthering that discrimination and marginalization.”

Armstrong supports Rethink35’s mission to reduce the size of I-35 and divert traffic by promoting biking, buses, and other forms of transportation. They propose replacing it with an urban boulevard and letting the SH-130 tollway serve in its stead.

“We could see on KXAN when Rethink35 did their initial protests,” Armstrong said. “Since then, they’ve done two more at Stars Cafe. And because of that, we’ve seen a substantial uptick in people supporting Rethink35. And Rethink35 is a great way to protest the expansion.”

Brad Wheelis is the Southwest Communications Director for TxDOTS. He argues that the expansion will have an overall positive impact by replacing outdated infrastructure with new, dynamic solutions that allow for more speed.

“The existing roadway does not meet current or future traffic demand, resulting in longer travel times for commuters and emergency vehicles,” Wheelis wrote. “High-occupancy vehicle lanes will help move more people in fewer vehicles and provide lanes for CapMetro buses. The  project also widens cross-street bridges to include bicycle and pedestrian paths with a safety buffer to protect our most vulnerable users of the transportation system.”

Although many people, including members of Rethink35, are against the construction, some, such as Wheelis, say the positive impacts it could bring have been somewhat overshadowed. Many believe that it will not improve the constant headache of traffic and gridlock for many Austinites, and even make it worse during the construction by blocking more lanes and roads.

“TxDOT has since incorporated feedback from more than 18,000 community members into the design,” Wheelis said. “The result is a project that will improve safety and enhance mobility throughout our region.”

And this isn’t the end of highway expansions. At this point, many highways are getting old and need to be reconstructed with new security measures in mind, so they will be expanded at the same time.

“[Highway] expansion is something happening all around the country right now,” Morales-Grahl said. “We’re sort of reaching the end of life of many highways. People either need to decide to get rid of them or sort of fix them through very intense multi-year-long processes. And this is something that’s happening all around the country. And all over Texas, people are also fighting these expansions.”