Lanes to close on William Cannon through November

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The City of Austin announced it will close two lanes on a portion of West William Cannon Drive from May 30 until November 2023.

According to the city release, crews will temporarily close the street’s two outermost travel lanes in each direction between Menchaca Road and Woodhue Drive.  

The half-mile, six-lane stretch of West William Cannon Drive will operate with four lanes (two in each direction), the city said. Sidewalk and bus stop access will be maintained for pedestrians traveling through the work zone. Driveway access will be maintained for all businesses along the work zone. 

The traffic changes will ensure the safety of the crews working on a safety project, according to the announcement.

The city is stabilizing the Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) retaining walls on the west approach of the West William Cannon Drive bridge. That bridge crosses the Union Pacific railroad line.

Contractors will install over 500 soil nails into the bridge’s retaining walls before adding a new layer of concrete to each wall. The city said the work will stabilize the sediment beneath the roadway and "ensure safe travel conditions for decades to come.”

According to city's Public Input page, in August 2022, cracks formed in the roadway surface of the west side of the West William Cannon Drive bridge. Potholes formed over the cracks on the asphalt surface of the roadway. This damage was caused by sediment movement beneath the asphalt, the city said.  

Crews will work six days a week (Monday through Saturday) for approximately ten hours a day, the city said.