Travis County Commissioners discuss ongoing I-35 project concerns
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A plan to help some of the congestion you have to deal with on Interstate 35 in Austin is under the microscope by Travis County leaders.
It has to do with whether or not funding should be released before an environmental impact study is complete.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is in charge of the project, but Travis County leaders have some concerns.
"TxDOT is the 600,000-pound gorilla in the room," Precinct 2 Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea said. "They frequently do what they want."
Shea lead the discussion Tuesday, bringing a letter to her colleagues for their approval. That letter would ask TxDOT to not release funds for the project's construction until the environmental study is complete.
"Sending a letter that sort of repeats...to request these studies, which we're already trying to get funding for," Precinct 3 Travis County Commissioner Ann Howard said. "It's purposeless."
In Travis County Commissioners' court Tuesday, Shea tried to sway her fellow commissioners to approve sending a letter to TxDOT and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO).
"This is a massive investment in a project that will have generational impacts," Shea said.
TxDOT told KXAN it doesn't have a response to Tuesday's discussion, since they haven't received a formal letter with any sort of request.
In the summer of 2023, TxDOT approved its final environmental impact statement-- a document evaluating environmental and community effects of the project. It's a step needed in order to get federal funding.
Construction for TxDOT's $4.5 billion, eight-mile project is set to begin mid-2024. Travis County commissioners have had ongoing talks about looking into environmental impacts. Many concerns were outlined in a letter from February 2023.
"We have years to continue to improve this project," Howard said. "If we can identify changes after studies, to change that project, TxDOT confirmed with me that they can do change orders."
Shea said she wants TxDOT to do more.
"I don't think it's unreasonable to really push," Shea said.
Shea didn't get approval from her fellow commissioners Tuesday to send a new letter to TxDOT asking for the delay in releasing funds until the study is complete.
She can re-draft that letter and bring it back for commissioners next week.