While private-led projects struggle with lingering headwinds, shovels on public projects are still able to turn dirt.
That rings especially true on the I-35 corridor, one of the most traveled interstates in Texas.
Lone Star Constructors, a joint venture between Fluor and Austin Bridge & Road, a Coppell, Texas-based road construction company, broke ground Thursday on phase one of its I-35 Northeast Expansion South project in San Antonio, Texas, according to Fluor.
“Phase one of the I-35 NEX South project builds on Fluor’s more than two decades of work helping the Texas DOT improve safety and vehicular mobility across the state,” said Shawn West, president of Fluor’s infrastructure business. “This project reinforces Fluor’s commitment to delivery quality infrastructure and supports economic development and commerce in Texas.”
The I-35 NEX project is a 20-mile expansion effort that is broken into five segments. The $1.5 billion I-35 NEX Central project broke ground in 2022, and the remaining segments are still being designed.
Phase one of the I-35 NEX South project includes the addition of three elevated lanes, including two main lanes and one high-occupancy vehicle lane in each direction, according to the release. These stretch from the I-35/I-410 South interchange to the I-35/I-410 North interchange along I-35.
The Texas DOT awarded the $700 million contract to the Fluor-led joint venture last August. The Irving, Texas-based company will handle the design, construction and capital maintenance of the interstate project.
The kickoff followed other recent starts in the I-35 corridor, including a $606 million project in Austin that began in April 2023.
Fluor CEO David Constable highlighted the significance of these types of awards during Fluor’s most recent earnings call, emphasizing its importance for the company’s Urban Solutions unit, which provides engineering, procurement and construction services for the infrastructure, manufacturing, mining, metal and life sciences industries. He said demand for services within this segment propelled Fluor’s backlog to levels not seen since 2019.
The Irving, Texas-based company expects substantial completion on the project in San Antonio by early 2028, according to the release.