AUSTIN (KXAN) — Later this month, Austin City Council will weigh in on a nearly $2.9 million contract for intersection and multimodal improvements along a stretch of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Council will consider March 27 a construction services contract for upgrades to the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Heflin Lane and Springdale Road, with the contract capped at just shy of $2.9 million. Should council greenlight the item, the contract would be awarded to DeNucci Constructors, LLC.
The project is centered around “critical safety and multi-modal improvements” to the intersection and utilizes funding via the city’s 2020 mobility bond, according to council documents. It’s designed to minimize crashes among all transportation modes and improve safety, mobility and accessibility for those walking, riding bikes, taking transit or driving within the corridor.
Planned project components include reducing lane widths along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard as well as adding new raised concrete medians to the roadway. Other elements include the addition of a smart right turn heading westbound on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to northbound Springdale Road, alongside reassigned lanes on Springdale.
It’ll also include the conversion of existing movements to a right-in, right-out traffic movement on Heflin Lane, closing or relocating CapMetro bus stops and adding new shared-use paths, separated bike and pedestrian pathways, new ADA-compliant curb ramps, upgraded signal infrastructure and timing alongside new pavement surface treatment, permanent markings and higher-visibility crosswalks and signage.
The Austin Transportation and Public Works Department has wrapped work at 22 high-crash intersections within Austin; an analysis from Austin’s Vision Zero program found those improvements led to a 22% reduction in serious and fatal injury crashes at those treated intersections.
Construction is poised to begin this summer and last roughly six months, pending any weather delays or other postponements. The city will connect with neighboring businesses and residents via mailings, social media outreach and press releases to alert them of the upcoming work.
