Austin, TX
Can Austin's roads keep up with its growth?
AUSTIN, Texas — As Texas continues to experience explosive growth, more pressure is on the state’s roadways to keep up.
Doise Miers has worked in transportation in Austin for more than a dozen years, but she says this is unlike anything she’s seen before.
“It’s one of the fastest growing areas in the country”, said Miers, adding that the Greater Austin area is expected to see the population double over the next 20 to 25 years.
“We’ve gone from about 2 million people, and we are projected to be in the 4 to 4.5 million range in the year 2050,” Miers said.
Miers works for Austin’s Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO). The group collaborates with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to study area roadways.
Experts say traffic conditions in one part of the state can have a ripple effect, something Texans know all too well. The Interstate 35 downtown Austin corridor is one of the most congested areas in the state, according to TxDOT spokesperson Jeff Barker.
Over 10 million miles were traveled each day in 2023 by vehicles in Travis County alone, according to TxDOT’s annual roadway inventory data.
Barker explains that is why the second phase of the I-35 Capital Express Central Project is such a priority.
The Lady Bird Lake segment will add two non-toll HOV lanes, reconstruct the Lady Bird Lake bridge and create a pedestrian-only bridge at Woodland Avenue. The project also enhances bike and pedestrian paths.
“With it being the first major reconstruction of I-35 in nearly 50 years,” Barker says the project will bring much needed safety, mobility and connectivity improvements to the corridor.
Miers added that while projects like the one near Lady Bird Lake may not get rid of traffic congestion, these projects “are going to address the congestion, and help it not get any worse, even though we’re looking to double the population.”
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas’ highway system dropped two spots since 2025, and now ranks at No. 27 in the country for its cost-effectiveness and overall conditions, according to the Reason Foundation’s 2026 Highway Report.
The report assessed pavement conditions, fatalities, deficient bridges, infrastructure costs and congestion levels across the United States. Texas earned the following rankings:
- 33rd in urban interstate pavement conditions
- 21st in rural interstate pavement conditions
- 39th in urban arterial pavement conditions
- 12th in rural arterial pavement conditions
- 3rd in structurally deficient bridges
- 26th in urban fatality rate
- 42nd in rural fatality rate
- 41st in traffic congestion
“More than 42,000 of the nation’s 618,923 highway bridges, nearly 7%, are still structurally deficient. Arizona, Nevada, and Texas reported the lowest percentages of deficient bridges,” the report said.
The full report can be found online.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Small hail peppered the Austin area as strong thunderstorms moved through Saturday.
A few of the storms dropped rain and up to pea-sized hail in San Marcos, Dripping Springs and the Austin metro area.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for Williamson County around 8:15 p.m., and then canceled shortly after. However, it was enough for the Two Step Inn music festival in Georgetown to cancel shows for the rest of the evening. Event organizers say the festival will run as planned Sunday.
KXAN’s First Warning Weather team is monitoring the storms. We will update this post as the evening continues.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Society Sons of the American Revolution unveiled a new monument at the Texas State Cemetery on Saturday, dedicated to Texas Revolutionary War soldiers.
“We must educate every generation about why it is that America grew from a tenuous 13 colonies into the most powerful country in the history of the world,” said Governor Abbott. “This monument here is an enduring testament to the heroes who fought for the freedom that is unique to America.”
The monument was dedicated to 69 soldiers who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Texas, according to a press release.
Among those that were honored, Abbott recognized:
- José Santiago Seguín, grandfather of Texas Revolutionary hero Juan Seguín.
- Peter Sides, who fought in the 2nd Battalion of the North Carolina Regiment of the Colonial Army, and was later killed in the 1813 Battle of Medina, fighting for Mexican independence against Spain.
- Antonio Gil Y’Barbo, the founder of Nacogdoches.
- William Sparks, who fought as a mounted rifleman in the American Revolution and later settled in Texas. He had two sons and two grandsons who fought in the Texas Revolution.
“This year marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, which not only gave freedom to the British colonies of North America, but inspired movements for freedom and liberty all over the world,” said TSSAR President Mel Oller. “Texans played a role in the war too, and it’s important to recognize them, and the sacrifices they made for our freedom.”
At the monument unveiling, Abbott was also inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution and received its Silver Good Citizenship Medal.
-
West Virginia2 minutes agoThis week in West Virginia history: April 19-25
-
Wyoming8 minutes agoIdaho semitruck driver involved in fatal accident at Wyoming FlyingJ – East Idaho News
-
Crypto14 minutes agoUpcoming ‘Bitcoin’ Movie With Casey Affleck, Gal Gadot Probes Satoshi’s Identity
-
Finance20 minutes agoHong Kong reasserts role as safe haven in global finance amid Iran conflict
-
Fitness26 minutes agoHow the 3-3-3 Rule Helped Me Stick to an Exercise Routine
-
Movie Reviews38 minutes agoFILM REVIEW: ROSE OF NEVADA – Joyzine
-
World50 minutes ago
Oil prices rise anew after a US-Iran standoff in the Strait of Hormuz strands tankers
-
News56 minutes agoVideo: 8 Children Killed in Louisiana Shooting, Police Say
