Editor’s Note: The above video is from April 18, 2024, when Austin City Council approved a nearly $23 million contract to build a new pedestrian and cyclist bridge over Lady Bird Lake.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin will begin construction Monday on its new wishbone pedestrian bridge crossing Lady Bird Lake, the city’s Capital Delivery Services division announced.
Back in April, Austin City Council approved a nearly $23 million contract to construct the new bridge across Lady Bird Lake, which will feature improved pedestrian and cyclist access. The city first issued a preliminary engineering report back in 2018 to determine if a new bridge across Lady Bird Lake was both possible and feasible.
The wishbone-style bridge will link Longhorn Shores to the peninsula and Canterbury Park while bypassing South Pleasant Valley Road. April designs noted a proposed underpass beneath South Pleasant Valley Road to allow unrestricted pedestrian and cyclist crossings to Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Metro Park.
Starting Monday, fencing will be installed around the planned construction areas neighboring Canterbury Park, Longhorn Shores and Krieg Fields, per project details. Longhorn Shores will be closed to the public during construction, as well as the tunnel from Krieg Fields underneath Pleasant Valley Road. Krieg Fields will remain open during construction, officials confirmed.
Beginning July 8, trail users along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail will be redirected northbound and advised to trail along the eastern side of Pleasant Valley Road. That rerouting will continue westbound down Canterbury Street and head southbound down Pedernales and Holly Streets, with the detour projected to last 18 months.
The project’s current construction timeline runs from summer 2024 through winter 2026. The Wishbone Bridge is being funded via the city’s 2020 Mobility Bond, as well as a $4.1 million federal grant awarded to the city in early April.