AUSTIN (KXAN) — More changes are coming to the busy 6th Street corridor in downtown Austin. Water-filled barriers were removed early Tuesday morning making room for new concrete barriers set to be installed later this week.
The city previously shutdown the popular entertainment stretch of road during peak times, like weekends. But it’s since been reopened and the city is trying to find a long-term solution.
One of the biggest complaints the city has heard from businesses is that it felt like they were living in a construction zone, Assistant Director of Transportation and Public Works Anna Martin said.
That’s one of many reasons the city said it’s doing a full swap. Barriers first popped up along the street in January as white fencing. The city rushed to make it happen following the deadly incident in New Orleans.
That fencing did not keep up well with the wear and tear. Martin said cars frequently drove over the footing and, at one point, some even fell down. That’s when the city moved to the water-filled barriers in May.
However, none of these were ever meant to be a permanent solution, which also includes the latest move to concrete.
“We want to look at the best use of space for everybody,” Martin said. “Of course there are cars that need to get to their destination, but there are a lot of businesses that load and unload during the day. How much space do they need? And then there’s a lot of pedestrians, particularly at night, so how much space do we need to keep everyone safe?”
The city said it plans to have these concrete barriers up for “a year or two” and that a local artist has been chosen to beautify the project. A long-term goal could eventually widen sidewalks and potentially bring traffic changes.
The city expected the concrete barriers to be fully installed by Thursday afternoon.