Project News / Transportation

Balfour Beatty Rebuilds I-35 Lady Bird Lake Bridge From Barges in $765M Austin Segment

By Ryan MitchellAustin & Central TexasTransportation

November 4, 2026

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Overview

Key Facts

Project:: I-35 Capital Express Central, Lady Bird Lake segment
Location:: Downtown Austin, Travis County
Owner/Developer:: Texas Department of Transportation
Value:: $765M segment value (part of the $4.5B program)
Value breakdown:: About $620M highway; about $145M utilities
Size:: 1,000-ft bridge replaced by two structures; two HOV lanes added each way
Key features:: Single-point urban interchange at Riverside Dr with room for future light rail; two pedestrian bridges; temporary barge dock on parkland
Construction methods:: Barge-based bridge work; micro-tunneling for utilities
General contractor:: Balfour Beatty
Design:: WSP USA (designer); RS&H (engineer)
Category:: Highways and bridges
Public impact:: Phased closures of the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail
Schedule:: Began early 2025; completion 2033
Status:: Under construction; reported on schedule and on budget
Next milestone:: Next traffic switch and trail-closure schedule (not yet announced)

Rendering of a pedestrian bridge beside the I-35 roadway over Lady Bird Lake — Rendering of the planned pedestrian crossing beside I-35 at Lady Bird Lake.

Crews are replacing the 1,000-foot I-35 bridge over Lady Bird Lake with two new structures as part of TxDOT's $4.5 billion Capital Express Central program, with completion set for 2033.

TxDOT's $765 million Lady Bird Lake segment of I-35 Capital Express Central is being built partly from barges on the lake, according to Texas Contractor. About $620 million is highway work and about $145 million is utilities. The segment is reported to be on schedule and on budget.

The 1,000-foot bridge will be replaced by separate northbound and southbound structures, and two HOV managed lanes will be added in each direction. Riverside Drive will become a single-point urban interchange designed to leave room for future light rail. The segment also includes two pedestrian bridges.

TxDOT bought parkland on the northwest corner for a temporary barge dock. Utilities are being installed by micro-tunneling, and parts of the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail will close during some phases.

Construction began in early 2025. Balfour Beatty is the general contractor, WSP USA is the designer and RS&H is the engineer.

The Lady Bird Lake work is one of several Balfour Beatty highway jobs in the Austin area. A joint venture of Fluor and Balfour Beatty announced in late September that the $677 million Oak Hill Parkway rebuild of US 290 and SH 71 in southwest Austin was fully open to traffic, with final completion expected by year-end, Construction Dive reported.

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