Congress and MLK construction exit will be closing
The closing of the construction exit at Congress is another milestone for The Texas Facilities Commission (TFC). The exit will be closed as the construction of the parking garage under Congress begins. It also marks the final phase of the excavation portion of the Texas Capitol Complex. The excavation work for the buildings at 1801 Congress and 1601 Congress and for the new Central Utility Plant at Colorado and 17th have been completed.
The closing of the construction area will be good news to commuters on MLK Blvd. Now, the trucks hauling the excavation debris will exit the construction zone on 17th Street. (Watch for flagmen at 17th and San Jacinto.) There is a however more utility work to be completed along the MLK Blvd. border of the project. The work will take place at night from December 19th through December 23rd. During the UT holiday break, pavement repairs will be made to this portion of MLK Blvd. Colorado Street from MLK Blvd. to 18th Street will also be repaved.
More work on Brazos Street
Expect delays and awkward traffic patterns at the corner of Brazos and 18th Street. There is more utility work to be completed on the new storm water drainage system for the Complex. The new system will reroute storm water from the complex into Waller creek at Trinity Street.
The intersection of 18th Street and San Jacinto and half a block of 18th Street remains closed. When this portion of the storm drain is completed, the other half of the block to Brazos Street will be excavated. This will allow traffic to the ERS building from San Jacinto. There will also be more utility work along the west wall of Garage R at the corner of Brazos and 18th Street. Access to the loading dock of the William B. Travis building will remain open.
Street closures
Commuter Note – Brazos Street from MLK Blvd to 17th Street will remain open for two-way traffic. Access to the W.B. Travis Building, the ERS visitor parking lot and the west entrance to Garage R will remain open from Brazos Street. However, this section of Brazos will be very congested with construction activities.
Other area construction news
1836 San Jacinto – The Employee Retirement System (ERS) continues to work on their new building at the northwest corner of MLK Blvd. and San Jacinto. The west lane of traffic on San Jacinto between MLK Blvd. and 18th Street is closed for this project. The project is quickly progressing with concrete pours currently underway for basement and elevated slabs.
The finished project will include five stories of office space, a ground floor with retail and restaurant areas and access to four levels of parking. ERS will occupy half of one level and a conference center will occupy the other half of the floor. The remaining four floors will be leased to tenants.
The new building, named 1836 San Jacinto, will provide adequate space for existing ERS staff, improve operational efficiency and lower maintenance expenses through the incorporation of energy saving, sustainable design elements. The building will accommodate future growth with the leased space serving as a source of income for the ERS Trust. (This is not a TFC managed project.)
Please drive slowly through this congested area.
Moody Center – a new sports and entertainment center on the UT Campus
The University of Texas and partners have broken ground on the future site of the Longhorns’ new basketball arena and event center. The 15,000-seat area will be located south of the Mike A. Myers Stadium (soccer fields) between Robert Dedman Drive and Red River and is expected to open in 2022. Traffic patterns through this area will be changing. For traffic and project updates visit UT Construction Disruptions.
