Austin drivers were granted a bit of traffic-flow relief this morning when a flyover connecting westbound Ben White and I-35 South opened just after 10:30am. Mayor Lee Leffingwell and State Senator Kirk Watson were on hand for a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the last of the four new flyovers at the intersection. The three other flyovers opened this fall.
Construction on this latest portion of the I-35, Ben White intersection began 18 months ago. Building the entire flyover system began in 2000. TXDOT estimates that 119,000 cars pass through Ben White at I-35 per day and about 211,500 drive through I-35 at Ben White every day.