We’re writing to inform you about construction activity at the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Bridge at Interstate 35 and how the next phase of work may impact your mobility coming to and leaving campus.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Bridge Reconstruction is one component of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT)  I-35 Capital Express Central Project, which will impact UT visitors and the campus community.

TxDOT has provided the following information on their project to UT.

The purpose of this project is to reconstruct and widen the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Bridge. The next phase of work includes partial demolition, which will begin on the north side of the bridge. To facilitate the demolition, workers will block half of the roadway. Traffic will continue to flow both east and west. However, traffic lanes will decrease from four lanes down to three, with two for eastbound traffic and one for westbound traffic. Additionally, there will be two exit closures: the southbound Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard exit from the I-35 upper deck and the northbound on-ramp to I-35 north of 15th Street.

After site preparation, demolition activity will follow, occurring nightly from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Demolition activity will cause lane closures on Interstate 35 from the 15th Street exit to the Manor Road exit.

TxDOT anticipates this work will begin on March 31, with the actual demolition beginning around April 20, but the dates are subject to change.

The UT community and campus visitors can anticipate that travel in and out of campus on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard may take more time and should plan routes accordingly.

The expected completion date of the MLK Bridge Reconstruction is Spring/Summer of 2026.  

Find more information on the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Bridge Project or refer to this UT web page, which is a hub for TxDOT resources.

For questions, please contact the Texas Department of Transportation.