Austin Seeks Federal Grants for Freeway Caps as I-35 Expansion Plan Moves Forward

Austin officials could apply for a federal grant of up to $124 million to fund deck plazas over Interstate 35, reports Kelsey Thompson for KXAN. The grant application is directed at the Our Future 35 program, an initiative to mitigate the impact of the Texas Department of Transportation’s plan to expand the freeway despite local objections. “Those deck plazas could support community resources like parkland and green space, public art, small buildings and other amenities.”

The total capping effort could range in cost between $600 and $800 million. According to Thompson, “The application comes more than a month after the city received $105.2 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Neighborhood Access and Equity program to support cap and stitch efforts.” However, the expansion project will likely still have negative impacts on local emissions and air quality.