AUSTIN, TX — Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) crews recently broke ground on major new projects, advanced ongoing construction, and marked the end of an era for an iconic bridge.
In northeast San Antonio, one of the largest projects in the state — the $1.5 billion I-35 NEX Central Project — passed the halfway mark. The project, now more than 60 percent complete, will add three elevated lanes (two general-purpose and one HOV) in each direction along a 20-mile stretch of I-35. Once finished, the new lanes will connect directly to Loop 410 North and Loop 1604 West, improving travel times for one of the state’s busiest corridors. TxDOT estimates the project will reduce travel times by up to 48 percent between FM 3009 and I-410 N once completed in late 2027.
In Corpus Christi, crews reached a bittersweet milestone — the lowering of the center span of the old Harbor Bridge, a structure that has connected communities for more than 60 years. After several weather delays, TxDOT successfully lowered the massive steel span over the course of nine hours. Residents gathered to watch the moment, many reflecting on the bridge’s place in local history.
In Cedar Creek, TxDOT and local leaders broke ground on a $58.5 million overpass project at Tucker Hill Lane. The project is part of a larger, corridor-wide effort that will remove traffic signals on State Highway 71, allowing drivers to travel between Austin and Houston without encountering a signal. The project includes new one-way frontage roads and pedestrian and bicycle accommodations — part of TxDOT’s push to improve both mobility and safety in one of Central Texas’s fastest-growing regions. Construction is expected to wrap up in fall 2028.
In Waco, utility relocation work continues along the I-35 frontage roads near Valley Mills Drive as part of the ongoing My35 Waco South project, which will eventually include a new diverging diamond interchange designed to improve safety and traffic flow. Meanwhile, TxDOT is planning a complete transformation of Business 77 into a pedestrian and bicycle-friendly boulevard connecting I-35 to University Parks Drive. The project is in early design, with construction expected to begin by 2030.
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TxDOT officials hosted a town hall in League City to share updates on the Grand Parkway Section B-1 expansion, which will extend from I-45 to south of FM 2403 in Alvin, Texas. The $1.96 billion project will create a new 14-mile controlled-access toll road with direct connectors to I-45 and SH 35. Design work is scheduled to begin in 2026, with construction anticipated to start in 2027. Having fulfilled its life cycle, the work will also include the removal and replacement of the existing SH 35 pavement within the construction limits.
In Lubbock, TxDOT announced that work on 19th Street — a major east-west artery through the city — will be “substantially complete” by the end of 2025. Crews are currently finishing sidewalks, lighting, and signal installations, and all lanes are expected to reopen by year’s end. The project has improved safety and mobility along one of Lubbock’s most traveled corridors.
