TxDot Celebrates 'Milestone' With Oltorf Street Bridge Opening

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX — Texas Department of Transportation officials recently celebrated what they deem to be an important milestone: The completion of the new Oltorf Street bridge over Interstate 35.

The project's completion enabled crews to open up the area to traffic on Nov. 17.

Crews demolished and rebuilt the north half of the bridge in July 2017. Once that work was completed, they demolished and rebuilt the south half of the bridge. A video of the bridge demolition and reconstruction process is available here and at My35Construction.org.

“Over the course of four months, TxDOT’s contractor was able to take down and reconstruct an entirely new bridge,” said Terry McCoy, TxDOT Austin District Engineer. “Work to build the bridge and maintain traffic along Oltorf Street and I-35 took careful planning, using traffic shifts and nighttime closures, and I want to thank the team for their hard work to complete this milestone.”

TxDot officials noted that various lane closures will continue to occur along Oltorf Street, I-35 mainlanes, and frontage roads, while the project is completed. Improvements along the frontage roads include new storm drains, waterline installation and a new bicycle/pedestrian path. Ongoing construction also includes shifting the frontage road to allow space to construct new entrance and exit ramps.

Once completed, the I-35 at Oltorf Street project will include improved entrance/exit ramps and frontage roads, new extended entrance/exit lanes for mainlanes and ramps, and U-turns in both directions at Oltorf Street, officials said. These improvements are expected to reduce wait times at the intersections and improve mobility and access along the frontage roads.

“We are committed to enhancing safety and improving overall mobility along I-35,” McCoy said. “We know construction can be frustrating, especially when we’re working on one of the most congested roadways in Texas, so we want to thank the traveling public for their patience and cooperation.”

Work on the $42.6 million project is expected to continue through spring 2019, weather permitting. The contractor is OHL USA, Inc.

Lane closure information is updated weekly at My35Construction.org. Those interested also can follow the project via Twitter @35andOltorf for traffic updates.

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