Austin receives $105M in federal dollars for Cap and Stitch program

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin's Cap and Stitch program received more than $105 million from the federal government, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) announced Monday.

The federal dollars will go toward cap and stitch work at Cesar Chavez Street. The project aims to reconnect the eastside with downtown Austin while enhancing access and mobility, the release said.

The funding came via the Inflation Reduction Act, with the total awarded amount listed at $105.2 million.

Our Future 35 is the cap and stitch program created in collaboration between the City of Austin, the Downtown Austin Alliance and other community partners. It encompasses the construction of freeway covers — or caps — along with widened bridges with multimodal access for pedestrians and cyclists. The $105.2 million federal funding will help cover the costs of the cap and community amenities from Cesar Chavez Street to Fourth Street.

“I previously obtained an appropriation for preliminary engineering for this project to reunite two long-divided parts of Austin,” Doggett said in the release. “Today’s investment represents a very hopeful development regarding a troubling highway expansion. It offers important opportunities for our community. These are the first three blocks of what could eventually be additional benefits through additional capping along I-35 with help from UT, the City and other interested parties.”