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W Hotel Lane Closures and Rush Hour Water Fight This Afternoon

This map shows lane closures around the W Hotel and the location of a "flash mob" rush hour water fight.

After glass fell from the W Hotel for the third time in just over two weeks yesterday, the city is taking no chances and is closing lanes around the building until further notice. But one of the alternative routes also happens to be where a group of people are planning an impromptu water fight during rush hour.

From the Austin Transportation Department, here are the closures:

  • Two lanes of Lavaca closed between Cesar Chavez and Third Streets.
  • Two lanes of Guadalupe closed from Fourth Street to Cesar Chavez
  • Closure of all of Third Street between Lavaca Street and Guadalupe Street
  • Lane reductions on Guadalupe Street from Eighth Street to Fourth Street
  • Lane reductions along South First Street Bridge
  • Various sidewalk closures around the W Hotel

Lavaca and Guadalupe Streets are major north-south thoroughfares through downtown Austin. The city is asking people to use the Congress Avenue or Lamar Boulevard bridges, instead of the bridge on South First Street. 
But if you take Congress Avenue after work today, be forewarned: a group of people are planning a water fight “flash mob” during rush hour. Their Facebook event page says they plan to lob water balloons across Congress Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets. As of 10:30 a.m., more than 150 people had RSVPed saying they will attend.

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.
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