Construction work by the Texas Department of Transportation continues this week on the SH 71/Ben White Boulevard to I-35 flyovers, with crews installing columns for the elevated managed lanes and applying striping.

The details: The roadwork is part of the I-35 Capital Express projects, which aim to improve safety, reduce congestion and increase mobility of the interstate. 

The closures began on Aug. 9 at 9 p.m., with crews closing eastbound and westbound SH 71/Ben White Boulevard to the northbound I-35 flyovers nightly through Aug. 10.

Crews will close the eastbound and westbound SH 71/Ben White Boulevard to southbound I-35 flyovers at the following times:

• Aug. 10, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Aug. 12, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Austin ISD has had a busy summer ahead of the 2026-27 school year, which begins Aug. 18. Here's what parents need to know.

Transportation changes: Starting this fall, secondary students will no longer be picked up at neighborhood bus stops. Students living more than two miles from campus will instead be assigned a "hub stop"—such as a school, library or transit center—up to three miles from home. The change eliminates 27 bus routes, and elementary stops remain unaffected. 

Middle school news: AISD trustees voted 7-2 to close Paredes Middle School, the district's 11th closure in a year, moving 635 students to Bailey or Mendez. The district will also fully operate Burnet, Dobie and Webb middle schools after ending its partnership with the Texas Council for International Studies in July, following a state denial of partnership benefits in May.

Science STAAR scores: AISD also outperformed most state averages on this year's delayed STAAR science exams, topping the state in 7 of 15 tested grade levels.

Major votes and actions have been taken by local governments in the Hays County area, from major funding allocations to a community organization suing Guadalupe County.

Check out four government stories from San Marcos, Hays County, Kyle and Guadalupe County.

1. San Marcos council allocates over $770K housing grant: The San Marcos City Council approved allocations of over $770,000 in Community Development Block Grant, or CDBG, funding to multiple local groups with public service programs and projects.

2. Hays County to update decorum rules: Hays County staff will review and potentially update the Commissioners Court rules of decorum.

3. Kyle to explore funding opportunities for city boards: The city of Kyle is exploring the establishment of independent nonprofit foundations to support projects through private donations, grants, sponsorships and other opportunities.

4. Guadalupe County sued over data center agreements: On July 20, the Data Center Action Coalition and local residents filed a lawsuit against the Guadalupe County Commissioners Court to stop the development of the Cloudburst and Palomino Alpha data centers.

Check out the latest Austin metro transportation updates.

Ongoing projects

Austin seeks public feedback on Cesar Chavez Street renaming: The city is seeking public feedback on the potential renaming of Cesar Chavez Street following some City Council members' request for the change earlier this year. The city is asking residents whether the street should be renamed, and if so, what designation to use as a replacement. Council will take that input before making any final decisions. Three public meetings about the renaming process will be held from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. on Aug. 11 at the Central Library and  Aug. 15 at Sanchez Elementary School, and Aug. 18 via a virtual webinar. 

Completed projects

CapMetro's Bikeshare service to resume Aug. 11: After a temporary service suspension due to an operations facility fire, Capital Metro officials announced that its rentable electric-assist bike service Bikeshare will return in phases beginning Aug. 11. Nearly one-third of the Bikeshare fleet will be available for riding by Aug. 18 in priority areas with the highest customer demand

Within the next year, Texans will likely see changes to when they can vote early in elections, including expanded weekend voting hours.

The overview: Last year, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2753, which shifts Texas’ early voting window closer to election day, cutting out a three-day gap between the two voting periods and adding more Saturday and Sunday voting.

While the changes did not take effect immediately and were designed to help boost voter turnout, local election administrators said the law will also significantly raise costs for municipalities and delay the release of election results.

Election officials said the current three-day break allows staff to set up polling places for election day and prepare submitted ballots so results from early and mail-in voting can be released quickly after the polls close on election night.

The impact: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth estimated that the shift would raise the cost of administering a large election by 30% and increase costs for smaller elections by 9%, due to personnel, equipment and voter education needs.