In the latest development of Austin’s billion-dollar plan to enhance Interstate 35, the city has proposed a final outline costing $69 million to build two stitch structures along the highway.
The I-35 Cap-and-Stitch project has been a source of significant investment for the city over the past several years, with costs ballooning to a projected $1.4 billion for the entire project. Caps and stitches are concrete structures built over highways to connect previously divided areas of the city. These provide key mobility and roadway elements while offering pedestrians safe means to cross the highway.
The approved $69 million covers part of a $104 million framework approved in May 2025 to build the foundations for three multi-acre caps and two 300-foot northern stitches. The stitches – 41st Street and Red Line – would cover 2.47 acres. After receiving public input and evaluating four options, officials opted for Option B: Red Line Stitch and 41st Street Split as the preferred alternative for the project.
The project’s cost covers both roadway elements and the future decks. A selection of features in the design include:
- A highway deck spanning the roadway with capacity for amenities, including small buildings and shade trees.
- A deck on the south side of the railroad crossing, providing access to a future Red Line station.
- A series of shared-use pathways.
- A deck connection between both pieces along the eastern frontage road.
Austin’s Cap-and-Stitch project is notably a separate endeavor than the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) multi-billion initiative to expand I-35. The city will be responsible for funding its plans to reconnect communities and expand safe mobility options for pedestrians and bicyclists. While these projects are separate, TxDOT’s move to change some of its timelines for the I-35 expansion has caused Austin to accelerate its own funding and design deadlines.
Photo by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, from Wikimedia Commons
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