Crashes up 22% in north Austin I-35 construction zone
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Transportation is overhauling Interstate 35 through Austin from the north side to the south side of the Travis County line. Construction began on the I-35 Capital Express North Project in March 2023.
TxDOT data shows total crash numbers were higher in 2024 compared to the previous two years. According to the data, there were 727 crashes in 2022 on that stretch of I-35. In 2023, crashes dropped to 701, but in 2024, crashes went to 858, a 22% increase from the previous year.
"It's unacceptable number one, and we all need to do our part," said TxDOT Austin Spokesperson Bradley Wheelis.
"When we look at crashes in this particular work zone, the top contributing factors are driver and attention. So people not paying attention... they've been distracted. It's following too closely and speed, those are the top contributing factors. So while we try our best to make work zones as forgivable as possible, when people make poor decisions behind the wheel, we need drivers to do their part right," said Wheelis.
Driving through a construction zone is not a smooth experience. Shifting lanes and barriers can be overwhelming, but the barriers are a necessity.
"We do everything we can to protect our workers. Many times they're behind the concrete barriers, but sometimes they have to be out there, and you've got traffic whizzing by at 60-70, miles an hour or more, because people are not paying attention to the speed limit," Wheelis said.
The CapEx North project is not slated to wrap up until 2029, so the construction zone conditions are something drivers through Austin will need to get used to.