The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has started 2026 with a range of major transportation projects across the state, focusing on highway expansion, safety improvements, and local mobility initiatives.
In Austin, TxDOT is preparing for the reconstruction of I-35 bridges over Lady Bird Lake. This marks a significant milestone in the $4.5 billion I-35 Capital Express Central project. The project is part of the MyMobility35 initiative and aims to improve safety, reduce congestion, and enhance access for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users in central Austin. Recent changes include permanent closures of some exits and entrances but also new bypass lanes and temporary routes to maintain traffic flow during construction.
Williamson County saw the groundbreaking for Phase 1a of the RM 2243 project. TxDOT joined local leaders and federal partners to begin reconstructing and widening 3.5 miles between 183A and Garey Park. The upgrades will add a center turn lane, realign curves for safety, and create shared-use paths for pedestrians and cyclists. Completion is expected by early 2028.
In Wimberley, Hays County, nighttime construction began on three new traffic signals at RR 12 and Old Kyle Road to improve intersection safety while minimizing daytime disruptions.
Houston’s Grand Parkway in west Harris County will be expanded from four lanes to six between I-10 and Highway 290 due to rapid population growth in the area. Planned improvements include replacing cable barriers with concrete ones and adding noise walls where necessary.
West Texas is also seeing investment in transportation infrastructure. In Taylor County, plans are set for a $125 million expansion of I-20 that will widen it to six lanes and add an overpass at Judge Ely Boulevard; work begins late this year. Lubbock recently launched a $2.7 million safety project on U.S. 62 between Lubbock and Ropesville with new cable median barriers intended to reduce severe crashes.
Amarillo crews have started making Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements along I-40 service roads and Washington Street by installing curb ramps, sidewalks, and shared-use paths for better accessibility—a move aligned with national efforts such as those recognized by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Inclusive Design Challenge marking the ADA’s anniversary (source).
TxDOT’s January activities reflect its ongoing commitment to enhancing connectivity across Texas through both large-scale urban projects like those in Austin or Houston as well as targeted rural upgrades throughout the state.
Federal support continues to play a role in modernizing transportation systems nationwide: recent funding announcements from programs such as Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) have allocated billions toward improving roads, bridges, transit systems, ports, railways—benefiting both urban centers like those in Texas as well as rural communities (source). Additionally, new guidance under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides states with resources to address extreme weather impacts on infrastructure (source).
These developments underscore ongoing efforts at both state and federal levels to ensure safer roads, improved mobility options—including accessibility enhancements—and better preparedness against future challenges affecting transportation networks.
