Austin, TX
Understanding what’s going on with I-35’s expansion in Austin
Interstate 35 is one of the major north-south routes that cuts through America’s heartland, connecting major cities like Dallas, Oklahoma City, Minneapolis-Saint Paul.
It’s also the source of major traffic headaches, especially in Austin, where it will soon undergo a major expansion – a $4.5 billion project that could take a decade to finish – that includes new managed lanes, tearing down the upper decks near the UT campus, and a whole lot more.
In this latest installment of The Drill Down, a monthly feature highlighting investigative and enterprise journalism from The Texas Newsroom and our public radio partners across the state, we spoke with KUT News transportation reporter Nathan Bernier. He’s been following the project’s many developments over the years, and he’s just published a comprehensive look at what the construction will entail.
This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity:
Texas Standard: What are some of the biggest changes happening to I-35 here?
Nathan Bernier: Well, you touched on a couple of them: adding two managed lanes, or high-occupancy vehicle lanes, in each direction. But they’re going to increase the number of general purpose lanes – your standard non-high-occupancy vehicle lanes – at various points.
Of course, tearing down those elevated lanes known as the upper decks, but also sinking the main lanes 30 to 40 feet below ground level through downtown. And that’s going to give the city and the University of Texas a chance to spend hundreds of millions of dollars, if they can come up with the money, to cover those lanes, essentially tunneling them through parts of downtown Austin.
And some other changes as well, such as narrowing the main lanes and the managed lanes from 12 feet to 11 feet wide. And there’s so many pieces to this – you know, we could talk for an hour about it – but those are some of the big changes coming to I-35 through Central Austin, that eight-mile stretch.
» The Drill Down: Investigative and enterprise stories from across Texas
One aspect of all this that has a lot of folks upset is the displacement of people and businesses. This project, as I understand, is going to force out more than 100 homes and businesses. I gather you’ve been talking to some of those people who may be driven out. What are you hearing?
Yeah, that’s one of the main things we wanted to do with this story is to find out who’s affected by it, who’s being impacted. Whether you support the expansion or not, there are harms being done to people along the project length.
And so it’s really just a matter of looking at property tax records and looking at TxDOT documents and just walking up and down the frontage roads to try and find people who are being told they’re going to have to leave. We have a series on that called Driven Out.
One person I spoke to recently is named Carl Judd. He lives in a Deluxe Inn motel right on the highway that’s going to be torn down to create a construction staging area where highway building machines and equipment can be stored. He’s lived in this motel for 11 years and is 69 years old; he’s on Social Security, and he doesn’t know what’s going to happen next.
“What am I going to do? No idea. No idea at all. Because I need a place where – I’m older; I’m set in my ways. I smoke cigarettes. I drink beer,” he said. “I’m entitled to three months notice and possibly relocation expenses, which would be helpful because it’s going to be really difficult to find an apartment for $1,000.”
Austin has the highest rents in Texas, so finding an affordable place near public transit is going to be hard for him.
Let’s talk a little bit about how you went about reporting this story. It’s such a huge topic. How did you approach it? You mentioned that part of it is just getting out on the street and talking with people – but also, you’ve got to break this down in a way that kind of makes sense to a larger audience.
Yeah. It’s very difficult to wrap your head around this project because it is so large and it’s in a very populated area. One of the things that I did was looking through TxDOT’s documents first, because they’ve published thousands of pages of details on this. They’re required to under federal law as part of an environmental study.
And there are so many details buried in these documents that aren’t in the, you know, the executive summary – really interesting stuff. And there’s so many stories in there that I love to get to, and I’m trying to get to them all.
But of course, not all the details are in the documents, and a lot of it does require, as you say, just going down, shoe-leather journalism, knocking on doors and asking people what’s happening to them. Of course, looking at county tax records is a really helpful way to find out which properties are in the new right of way, the expanded footprint, and who owns them.
So it’s a combination of those techniques and filing public information requests with TxDOT to get more details on stuff they don’t make publicly available. For example, I got the calendar of an official who’s overseeing the program to find out who they’re meeting with and try and follow up with those folks to get information.
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Well, any major roadblocks so far? No pun intended.
Well, yeah. I mean, one of the hardest things about this is just how much information there is. And it’s difficult to process, to read through thousands of pages of documents. It’s time-consuming.
TxDOT will answer my questions, but not always to the degree of detail I would like. And they don’t always make officials available for interviews, so sometimes I need to show up at the events where they’re speaking to people and and get them on the record there, when there’s no communications person around.
So what are you working on next, Nathan?
I’m just continuing to look at the impacts of this project on Austin. I’m trying to explain in an unbiased way what is happening, because this is bringing a lot of change. And some people are affected deeply by this. So I think, no matter what you think of the project, people deserve to know about it, because I-35 goes through right through the middle of the city.
We’re talking to more people who are being displaced. There’s also a story that I need to do on a large drainage tunnel that will be up to 22 feet in diameter that’s going to be bored underneath a very populous street in Austin, Cesar Chavez. So there’s so much more to this project to cover. And, you know, it’s an endless source of stories.
And let’s not forget, I-35 is the backbone for U.S. trade with its now No. 1 trading partner Mexico, which has just overtaken China in the most recent numbers.
Can people reach out to you and send in questions or tips or anything like that?
Absolutely. I’d love to hear from people affected by it, or also TxDOT employees or construction company workers if they have information and they want to share it privately, confidentially, to me, behind the scenes. The best way is to email me: nathan@kut.org, and I check that all the time.
Listen to an extended interview with Nathan Bernier in the audio player at the top of this story.
You can watch “Texas Eats” on Saturdays at 10 a.m. on KSAT 12, KSAT.com, and KSAT Plus, our free streaming app.
This week on Texas Eats:
Ramen Tatsu-Ya
1600 E 6th St., Austin, Texas 78702
Ramen Tatsu-ya is an Austin staple known for serious Japanese ramen, crafted by chefs Tatsu Aikawa and Takuya Matsumoto. Their broths are slow-cooked, complex, and authentic, and their noodle bowls are rich, comforting, and widely praised by locals and critics alike.
Otto’s Ice House
111 Newell Ave., San Antonio, Texas 78212
Otto’s Ice House, located in the Pearl District, mixes the chill vibes of a Texas ice house with upscale touches. From street tacos and bratwurst to creative cocktails and live music, it’s a place to kick back with friends outdoors or by the river. The menu is casual but well-executed, and the owner Levi Goode brings in a reputation for quality and storytelling.
Texas Bistro
1932 S Seguin Avenue #209, New Braunfels, Texas 78130
Texas Bistro is a New American restaurant in New Braunfels that focuses on fresh, thoughtfully prepared dishes in a relaxed but refined environment. It draws praise as one of the area’s standout places for dinner.
Goode Co. BBQ
5109 Kirby Drive, Houston, Texas 77098
Goode Co. Barbeque is a long-standing Houston institution (since 1977) specializing in Texas-style barbecue slow-smoked over mesquite wood. They serve tender brisket, ribs, sausage, and classic sides, often paired with their signature pecan pie. The vibe is down-home, rustic, and welcoming — a place built around tradition, smoked meats, and a sense of genuine Texas BBQ hospitality.
Canje
1914 E 6th St. Ste C, Austin, Texas 78702
Canje is a vibrant Caribbean-inspired restaurant founded by Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph. Located in East Austin, it blends Caribbean and Guyanese traditions with modern techniques, emphasizing fresh, regionally-sourced ingredients and sustainable practices. The atmosphere is lively and colorful, with bold flavors and inventive dishes that reflect the broader diaspora of island cuisines.
Best Quality Daughter
602 Avenue A, San Antonio, Texas 78215
Best Quality Daughter is an Asian-American restaurant in the Pearl, founded by Chef Jennifer Dobbertin. It showcases flavors from her heritage and her travels, offering dishes that blend comfort with creativity in a welcoming space. It’s earned acclaim locally and has become a key part of San Antonio’s emerging food scene.
McAdoo’s Seafood
196 N Castell Ave., New Braunfels, Texas 78130
McAdoo’s is an upscale seafood restaurant in downtown New Braunfels housed in the old post office building. They offer a mix of fresh seafood, authentic Cajun-Creole dishes, and Texas Creole favorites. The setting includes a courtyard and intimate bar, and the menu combines fine dining touches with hearty, flavor-forward preparations.
La Tequila Mexican Restauarnt
90 Crossroads Blvd., Balcones Heights, Texas 78201
La Tequila Jalisco offers auténtica comida mexicana in Balcones Heights with a menu full of Jalisco-style dishes like enchiladas, fried shrimp, and classic tacos. Its warm, family-friendly setting makes it a go-to for locals craving hearty, approachable Mexican food.
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AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) — The records in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s divorce case have been unsealed.
Judge Robert Brotherton, who is presiding over the case, signed an order Friday morning allowing the records to be made public. The decision came after Paxton and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, announced that they had come to an agreement late Thursday to unseal the documents.
Tyler Bexley, an attorney for a group of media organizations fighting for the records to be released, celebrated the decision as a win for transparency.
“We’re certainly pleased with the result,” Bexley said after the hearing.
The move was an abrupt about-face for the couple, who had fought to keep the records secret. It’s unclear exactly what brought on the change.
The records were released before noon. They show the Paxtons have entered mediation, and their blind trust had doled out $20,000 to each of them to pay for their attorneys. The documents also show that earlier this month, Angela Paxton asked her husband to produce records pertinent to the case. They also show multiple judges recused themselves from the case before it was given to Brotherton, a visiting judge based in Wichita Falls.
The Texas Newsroom previously published copies of several records — including Paxton’s general denial of his wife’s divorce petition — before they were sealed.
The records did not shed more light on the couple’s financial situation, division of assets or the alleged affair that led to the divorce — but additional filings will be made as the case continues. Bexley said the media organizations agreed to redactions only of personal information like Social Security numbers and home addresses.
State Sen. Angela Paxton filed for divorce in July alleging adultery. Soon after, she asked for the court record to be sealed. A previous judge handling the case agreed and put all of the records under seal. Ken Paxton initially supported the decision, filing a court document that accused the press of attempting to unfairly invade his personal life.
Eight media organizations and a nonpartisan nonprofit opposed the sealing. The media group argued Paxton’s divorce records should be public because he is an elected official running for office who has faced repeated allegations of corruption. The attorney general’s finances, which are a subject of the divorce case, have been central to the misconduct allegations against him. While he has been charged with multiple crimes during his decade in statewide office, Paxton has never been convicted.
Paxton is now challenging John Cornyn in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.
Laura Roach, one of Ken Paxton’s lawyers, said after the Friday hearing that the attorney general had always wanted the record to be unsealed.
“Mr. Paxton has always wanted us to actually unseal it,” she said. “Attorneys get on a path and we think that that’s the right way to go and we were finally able to get everybody on the same page.”
When asked why he initially opposed it so strongly, she added, “that’s just legal stuff. … His attorneys said that.”
Angela Paxton had asked the records be sealed because doing so would “not have an adverse affect on the public health or safety.” Her representatives declined to respond on Friday.
Michael Clauw, the communications director for the nonprofit Campaign for Accountability that also sought the release of the records, said he does not believe Ken Paxton actually wanted them to be made public.
“It’s ridiculous to believe that Ken Paxton ‘always wanted’ his divorce record to be unsealed,” he said. “Only when it became apparent he likely would lose in court did he change his tune.”
Roach said she expects the case to be resolved amicably soon. Neither Ken Paxton nor Angela Paxton appeared at the court.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at www.texastribune.org. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans – and engages with them – about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
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