If San Francisco can have its expensive underground rail system, why cant Austin have an expensive underground road system? The idea is actually a lot more clever than it sounds, as it would not only alleviate traffic but also leave the surface space free for construction. Plans are already on the table, awaiting improvement.

As the Texas Department of Transportation looks for ideas for the future of I-35, one vision is being proposed that could drastically alter Central Austin.

The so-called “Cut & Cap” plan, which was proposed by urban designer and architect Sinclair Black, would submerge I-35 underground from River Street to Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, and cover the highway with an urban boulevard and a park.

Black has estimated the cost of the project at about $550 million.

This morning, the Austin City Council met to debate the worthiness of approving an economic impact analysis for the “Cut & Cap” plan. This Thursday, the Council will vote on a resolution that would study the plan's financial viability.

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