History of I-35
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History of I-35

1973-74

The upper decks are constructed from Airport Boulevard to just south of Manor Road. This marks the last major expansion of I-35 in Austin.

Construction of the upper decks

1962

Interstate Highway 35 officially opens as a controlled-access, 6-lane interstate highway through downtown Austin, aligned on what was formerly known as East Avenue.

March 29, 1962: Ribbon-cutting ceremony for I-35
March 29, 1962: H.C. Petry cutting the "ribbon of girls" at the opening ceremony of I-35

1960

East Avenue as downtown freeway construction begins. Taken from the top of Brackenridge Hospital.
Construction of I-35 in Austin near Brackenridge Hospital

1958

East Avenue, looking south from approximately Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard

1956

The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 calls for the development of a 41,000 -mile interstate highway system and authorizes $25 billion to help built it.

1955

I-35 at Riverside Drive

1954

Construction of bridge across the Colorado River at Riverside Drive in Austin. It was built in 1954 as a bridge for U.S. Highway 81.

1950

The construction of an overpass at 19th Street combined with widening projects in 1951 helped to convert East Avenue into what eventually became I-35.

1933

East Avenue, which later becomes I-35, is paved with landscaped median islands. The roadway was reported to also be referred to as Calle Ancha, or “the wide street,” in Spanish.

Looking north from 10th Street along a rough and hilly section of East Avenue, just prior to paving