This weekend saw the beginning of a major demolition and reconstruction project of the Colorado River bridge crossing on U.S. Highway 183. The work is expected to last up to a year, and while construction is ongoing, northbound traffic will be affected. Those headed for Austin Public Health’s Office of Vital Records will find that they need to take a detour; fortunately, the office has supplied several alternate routes:

• From U.S. 183 Northbound: After crossing the Colorado River, continue northbound on U.S. 183. Keep left and use the U-turn at Bolm Road to head southbound on U.S. 183. Immediately merge to the far-right lane to exit for Airport Boulevard/Loop 111/Levander Loop. Keep right and look for the entrance to Austin Public Health on your right.
• From East Cesar Chavez, Fifth and Seventh Streets: After crossing Springdale Road, turn left onto Shady Lane. Take Shady Lane across Airport Boulevard to Bolm Road. Turn right onto Bolm Road. Follow Bolm Road to Gardner Road. Turn right onto Gardner Road. Take Gardner Road to Levander Loop. Turn right onto Levander Loop. Keep right and look for the entrance to Austin Public Health on your right.
• From U.S. 183 Southbound: After passing FM 969/Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard continue southbound past Bolm Road. Keep right and exit U.S. 183 to Airport Boulevard/Loop 111/Levander Loop. Keep right and look for the entrance to Austin Public Health on your right.

If you need a birth or death certificate, follow this process.

On Tuesday, the Commissioners Court unanimously approved a $100,000 loan to Sobering Center Austin to prevent the facility from having to make cuts as it awaits funding from the state Health and Human Services Commission. According to Travis County Judge Nancy Hohengarten, who chairs the Sobering Center board, the organization, which is a local government corporation, successfully applied for a federal grant aimed at addiction treatment that is distributed by HHSC. The organization was awarded the grant, which is distributed as a reimbursement once the center meets certain deliverables. However, the agency has been slow to deliver on the payments due to a new payment system that was recently implemented, said Hohengarten. While she believes the Sobering Center will ultimately meet all of the necessary deliverables and get roughly $600,000 from the state, in the near term the center needs immediate financial assistance in order to meet payroll or it may have to reduce hours. The deal the court approved calls for the center to pay back the county in the next fiscal year.

Over the weekend, the city started some routine maintenance work along a section of Redbud Trail in West Austin. The work – which is unrelated to the Redbud Trail Bridge replacement project – includes repairs to the bridge, repaving and re-striping lanes, fixing guardrails, and other minor repairs. The work is expected to wrap up in early or mid-August, depending, as always, on the weather. Motorists can expect some temporary weekday lane closures while the work is being performed, and possibly on some Saturdays as well. The bridge will remain open and access to Redbud Isle Park will not be affected. For more details, see the map below.

Yesterday, William Burkhardt, who has chaired the Board of Adjustment since 2015, tendered his resignation from the board. “It’s just time for me to step down,” he told the Austin Monitor. Burkhardt, who was Council Member Kathie Tovo’s District 9 appointee, was serving his third term on the board, which would have extended through February 2021. In June, while he was still chair, Burkhardt filed a grievance along with other members of the board against former Assistant City Attorney Brent Lloyd alleging a conflict of interest and misrepresentation of the interests of the board to third parties. The former chair explained to the Monitor that work demands have become more pressing as of late, and with the new Land Development Code discussions beginning, he felt it was time to pass the torch. He has recommended Brooke Bailey, a former member of the Board of Adjustment, as his replacement.

Sandra Bland was a 28-year-old African American woman who was arrested during a traffic stop in Prairie View, Texas, in July 2015 and died in a Waller County jail cell three days later. Her arrest, recorded on cellphone video, sparked protests across the country. Social justice and civil rights groups are applauding the city of Austin’s proclamation of July 13 as Sandra Bland Day and several events have been planned to honor her life and explore the lessons of her death. On Friday, July 12, Wildflower Unitarian Church will be airing the short film Awaken the Voice: Seeking Justice for Sandra Bland, co-sponsored by WFC Social Action Council and Undoing White Supremacy, 6:30-9 p.m., 1314 E. Oltorf St. On Saturday, July 13, Huston-Tillotson University will hold a Day of Advocacy and Healing, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 900 Chicon St.

Dads can have a rough time out in the world when baby’s diaper needs changing. Men aren’t welcome in women’s restrooms, and few men’s rooms have diaper-changing stations. What’s a dad to do? Austin City Council to the rescue! Council approved a resolution June 19 recognizing that “gender norms have changed, and fathers and other male caregivers frequently now share in the full range of joys and responsibilities associated with parenthood.” The resolution directs the city manager to look into the feasibility of installing diaper-changing stations in all city restrooms so that Austin will truly be more family friendly. The charge toward gender-neutral access to diaper-changing tables was spearheaded by District 8 Council Member Paige Ellis. After hearing from constituents who described the variety of creative methods they were using for changing diapers in public, Ellis told Spectrum News, “It just seems like we could be doing better.”

This weekend, traffic on I-35 will be even worse than normal, with plans to shut down northbound lanes between Rundberg Lane and U.S. 290 East. The traffic will be diverted to southbound lanes from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. The Texas Department of Transportation – and common sense – is urging drivers to find alternate routes during that time, if possible. More information can be found at my35construction.org.

MAJOR TRAFFIC SHIFT on I-35 this weekend. Traffic will be reduced to two lanes in each direction from US 290 East to Rundberg Lane. NB traffic will shift west. Avoid this stretch of I-35 if you can. #My35 #ATXtraffic https://t.co/BoU3EbJrgF

— TxDOT Austin (@TxDOTAustin) July 11, 2019

The Travis County Commissioners Court has decided it’s time to get smart about 21st-century technologies like artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and (maybe) robots. Commissioner Brigid Shea has invited a panel of tech leaders to brief the court on the impact emerging technologies could have on local government and how the county could best prepare itself and residents for what lies ahead. The panel includes Meme Styles, president and founder of the nonprofit Measure; Tyson Tuttle, CEO of Silicon Labs; Lemuel C. Williams, director of partner development at Adaptus LLC; and Peter Zandan, global vice chairman for data and analytics at Hill + Knowlton. The panel convenes on Thursday, July 11, 1:30 p.m., Travis County Commissioners Courtroom, 700 Lavaca St., 1st floor.

Summer’s only just begun, but when you have small children, it’s never too soon to start thinking about school. The Austin school district is holding a Pre-K Enrollment Fair to offer parents a chance to learn more about the various programs that are offered in the district, meet the staff and register their eligible 3- and 4-year-olds for free pre-K. Starting school early gives kids a major head start on their futures. Find out if your child qualifies for free pre-K here. A dozen schools in the district also offer a dual language pre-K curriculum. There will be refreshments and kid-friendly activities at the fair, which runs from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, July 20, Crockett Early College High School, 5601 Manchaca Road.

Central Health wants to know what you think about health care and how your tax dollars are being spent to fund it. Travis County residents are invited to attend a community conversation about Central Health’s 2020 proposed budget. Share your views on Monday, July 29, 6:30-8 p.m., Central Health Board Room, 1111 E. Cesar Chavez St.

The Longhorn Dam survey is wrapping things up at the end of today, so if you want to offer the city some feedback on alternatives for a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Lady Bird Lake, this is your last chance. The background on the project and all of the materials from the June 10 open house are posted online, and all of the different possibilities for pedestrians and cyclists makes for some very interesting reading. But don’t tarry too long: The online survey closes in just a few hours.

With school out for the summer, the Austin Independent School District is busy packing for its big move. After more than 25 years at its headquarters on West Sixth Street, AISD is pulling up stakes and moving to the greener, greater pastures of 4000 S. Interstate 35, at the northwest corner of I-35 and East Ben White Boulevard. The nine-story, 142,000-square-foot building will house staff from three district facilities. Everyone should be in place by the end of September, many in time for the first day of school on Aug. 20. If you’re looking for a particular department, call the main phone number first: (512) 414-1700. More details on the move can be found here.