Crash near I-35 and 8th Street backs up traffic in downtown Austin

A crash at East 8th Street and the southbound I-35 frontage road is snarling traffic in downtown Austin late Sunday afternoon on Mar. 1, 2026. Courtesy of the City of Austin

A crash at Eighth Street and the southbound Interstate 35 frontage road is snarling traffic in downtown Austin late Sunday afternoon, with several southbound lanes on the frontage road blocked, according to Austin Transportation and Public Works.

The city’s Austin-Travis County traffic incident log also listed a “Crash Urgent” call around 4:28 p.m. at 715 E. Eighth St. near the I-35 southbound service road, an area that frequently backs up during heavy downtown traffic.

Even without a crash, this stretch of I-35 is one of the region’s biggest choke points: the City of Austin says I-35 carries nearly 200,000 vehicle trips per day and is now being reconstructed as part of the Capital Express program. Ongoing work has reshuffled some familiar crossings and detours near downtown, contributing to frequent backups.