I drive the deadliest stretch of pavement in Texas every weekend. I may be a little badass, but what’s not badass is the traffic. Going through downtown Austin on IH-35 is always congested unless it’s past midnight.
I read a few years ago that the average speed for 35 in Austin during rush hour is around 3mph. Yup, three. It is kinda unbelievable. I have no idea why this problem isn’t being fixed. It isn’t like it is something new. Traffic has always been a problem and between San Antonio and Dallas is said to be one of the most overloaded-unorganized roads in the nation.
I’m not sure if y’all have been down 35 in a while, but near Cabela’s is a lane shift. Now, most the time we just slow down 10mph or so, but there are sometimes when a car will not shift and everyone has to slam on their breaks. Another problem with this is that there is a merging lane during the lane shift, if you don’t merge in 100ft or so you’re going straight into a cement barrier. Those problems are due to construction, and I hope they are done soon.
The absolute worst drive I’ve ever had on 35 was during tax-free weekend on my way to San Marcos. I know soccer moms may not be the best drivers, but I’ve been driving this span for over a year and I have never seen traffic in the middle of the country like this. I was certain, 100% sure that there were multiple wrecks. Not the case, just dumb drivers blindly flailing their vehicle down the road at 70 miles per hour causing massive traffic jams. Dubs. [Via]
