Austin’s South Lamar Boulevard is bracing for a makeover designed to boost the corridor's energy capabilities and enhance its infrastructure, with a series of construction phases that will kick off in July, according to KXAN. The South Lamar Corridor Reconductoring Project will upgrade electrical distribution wires, install new utility poles, and aim to support the region's growth by ensuring the safety and reliability of the energy supply.
The traffic flow will adapt to the construction undertakings that are planned to start on July 7; the project rolls out in three phases spanning from West Oltorf Street to Barton Springs Road, now during this time there's an expectation that each phase could take up to two months to complete, with work being done on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., leaving the middle lane open for both north and southbound traffic as specified by Community Impact.
With the construction comes the unavoidable inconvenience to local transit; bike lanes, sidewalks, and ADA access will face restrictions, and CapMetro bus stops between West Oltorf Street and Barton Springs Road are set to be temporarily closed or relocated, although no power outages are anticipated according to project details by Austin Energy. For updates on public transportation changes, Capital Metro will be the source of information for riders regarding any service disruptions.
The city is allocating a substantial sum of $482 million from the 2016 Mobility Bond to bring this project to fruition, which alongside other improvements throughout Austin, is expected to reduce road congestion, increase the efficiency of public transit, not forgetting the extension of continuous ADA-compliant sidewalks and bike paths down the whole stretch of South Lamar Boulevard reported Community Impact.
As part of this large-scale upgrade, preliminary road improvements at the intersection of West Mary Street and Evergreen Avenue, which is set to include a new roundabout and enhancements to bike and pedestrian pathways, are expected to commence this fall. For more detailed information on the corridor improvements and the phased construction schedules, Austin residents and business owners can visit the project’s website.
