By Josh Siatkowski | Staff Writer
I-35 construction will create more road closures starting Tuesday night as the removal of the highway’s northbound bridges over 17th and 18th Streets begins.
Announced to Baylor students via newsflash email the evening of Sept. 15, the closures begin with a full shutdown of the eastbound 18th Street, which will reopen by 7 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19. Following the removal of the 18th Street bridge, the email said that westbound 17th Street will be closed from Sept. 21-24. The highway itself will remain open throughout the removal of the bridges, the email stated.
“[TxDOT] plans to close 18th Street under I-35 Tuesday night through this Friday,” TxDOT Waco Public Information Officer Jake Smith said. “This will allow crews to safely and efficiently remove the I-35 northbound bridge over 18th Street as the My35 Waco South Project continues to make progress. This Sunday, crews will perform the same operation for the I-35 northbound bridge over 17th.”
Students traveling east near 18th Street between Tuesday and Friday can use the detour recommended by the City of Waco’s announcement.
“Motorists traveling southbound on the I-35 frontage road should continue past 18th Street on the frontage road to Valley Mills Drive and use the turnaround at Valley Mills Drive. Then, take the northbound I-35 frontage road and turn right onto eastbound 18th Street,” the City of Waco’s announcement reads.
Between Sept. 21 and 24, those needing to travel west can use the following detour.
“Continue past 17th Street to 12th Street and use the turnaround at 12th Street. Then, take the southbound I-35 frontage road and turn right onto westbound 17th Street,” the City of Waco’s announcement reads.
Despite the changes, TxDOT officials do not expect a significant increase in traffic through the process. Though the bridges will close as of Tuesday night, I-35 main lanes and frontage roads will remain operational throughout the construction. According to the Baylor Newsflash email, “Traffic signals will stay green to allow traffic to flow efficiently throughout this process.”
Though the construction impacts students’ and Wacoans’ travel, university spokesperson Lori Fogleman said Baylor was “very appreciative of TxDOT” for their work.
“This critical project will greatly improve safety and mobility through Waco, but we also know that all of us at Baylor will need to be patient, alert and resilient as TxDOT works to reconstruct the northbound side of I-35, including removing the 17th and 18th Street bridges over the next week,” Fogleman said via email.
The closures are part of a four-year plan — called My35 Waco South — to reconstruct the three-mile stretch of I-35 south of Baylor’s campus, between Loop 340 and 11th Street. The project will widen the road, construct new overpasses and frontage roads and add sidewalks, among other upgrades. Construction began in late 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2029 at a cost of $250 million.
Current closures are accompanied by other recent construction zones, which have led to heavy traffic for Baylor football’s season opener, as well as Family Weekend just days ago.
Crews have already completed a similar project, removing the bridge over New Road and reopening the road to traffic last week.
