Portable Toilets for Highway and Bridge Construction Crews Along I-35 in Central Texas
Highway and bridge crews work in long, narrow sites that shift as each phase opens and closes. Portable sanitation on I-35 usually means towable porta potties that move with the work, standard units at batch plants and laydown yards, and a restroom trailer at the field office.
Standard units typically start around $150-$325 per unit for short rentals. Multi-year highway contracts are quoted monthly. From Georgetown and Round Rock through Austin, San Marcos, and New Braunfels, and north to Temple and Waco, here is how to plan.
Why I-35 Is a Long-Term Job
TxDOT’s My Mobility35 program covers 79 miles of I-35 across Williamson, Travis, and Hays counties. Its largest piece, the $4.5 billion I-35 Capital Express Central project, rebuilds about eight miles through Austin from US 290 East to SH 71/Ben White Boulevard, with construction expected to run into 2033. Work includes drainage tunnels, new bridges over Lady Bird Lake, and lowered main lanes. Contractors on jobs this long need a sanitation plan that changes with each traffic switch.
Highway Crew Sanitation Costs at a Glance
| Portable Restroom | Typical Starting Cost | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Porta Potty | $150-$325 per unit | Laydown yards, batch plants, bridge sites |
| Towable Porta Potty | Custom quote | Paving, striping, and barrier crews |
| Deluxe Sink Porta Potty | $175-$375 per unit | Concrete and rebar crews with no water |
| Restroom Trailer | From around $1,000 | Field offices and main yards |
| Hand-Washing Station | $150-$250 | Break areas and restroom banks |
What OSHA Requires
OSHA’s construction sanitation standard (29 CFR 1926.51) requires one toilet for 20 or fewer workers, one toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers above that, and one of each per 50 workers on sites of 200 or more. The rule does not apply to mobile crews with transportation readily available to nearby toilets.
On a highway job, “nearby” is hard to meet. A crew behind barrier in a closed lane cannot easily drive to a gas station, and leaving the work zone means merging into live traffic. Our guide to OSHA sanitation requirements explains more. As a planning rule, VIP Restrooms recommends one restroom per 10 workers.
| Crew Size | Restrooms (1 per 10) | Suggested Setup |
|---|---|---|
| 5-10 (striping or barrier crew) | 1 | One towable unit that travels with the crew |
| 11-30 (bridge deck or paving crew) | 2-3 | Units at each end of the work area |
| 31-100 (major segment) | 4-10 | Units at each work front, a bank at the yard |
| 100+ | 10+ | Trailer at the field office, units along the corridor |
Placing Units in a Work Zone
- Keep units behind barrier, outside the clear zone and away from live lanes.
- Use access points a service truck can reach without a lane closure, such as frontage road gates and yard entrances.
- Plan for night work. Much I-35 work happens overnight, so light the units and schedule service around closures.
- Cover every level of a bridge site. Crews on a deck or in a tunnel shaft need a unit they can reach without a long climb or walk.
- Secure units against wind from passing trucks and Central Texas storms.
- Update locations after each traffic switch and send your provider new pins.
Servicing on a Busy Corridor
- Weekly service suits small day-shift crews.
- Large crews and summer heat need two or three services a week.
- Coordinate pump-truck entry with the traffic control plan so drivers are not turned away.
- Restock sanitizer, soap, and water on every visit.
For projects longer than a month, ask about long-term porta potty rentals.
What Affects the Cost?
Number of units and work fronts. More crews spread over more miles means more units.
Relocations. Provider moves are usually billed per trip. Towable units your crew moves can cut that cost.
Service frequency and timing. Night or weekend service windows can cost more.
Rental length. Longer contracts cost less per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do highway crews need portable toilets on site?
If workers cannot quickly and safely reach nearby restrooms, yes. That is the usual case inside a closed work zone.
How many toilets does a bridge crew need?
Plan on about one per 10 workers at each work front, plus units at yards and offices.
Do you serve Austin, Round Rock, and Waco?
Yes. VIP Restrooms serves construction sites across Texas.
Get a Quote for Your Crew
For an accurate quote, have ready your segment limits, yard locations, crew size, shift times, and how often work fronts move.
Need a quote? VIP Restrooms provides free, no-obligation quotes for highway and bridge crews and construction site portable toilets. Call (888) 437-0062 or Request a Free Portable Restroom Rental Quote.