The city’s Longhorn Dam Multimodal Improvements Project, which will result in a pedestrian and bicycle bridge that will connect northern and southern shores of Lady Bird Lake in East Austin, marked several milestones in 2024.
The city’s Capital Delivery Services, sponsored by the Transportation and Public Works Department, has completed a number of steps on the new wishbone-shaped structure, according to a press release. Completed and ongoing tasks include:
- Five of the nine pier caps, called Inverted-Tee Caps, have been placed. These pier caps will support the bridge girders and deck. The four remaining pier caps are expected to be completed in January 2025.
- In January 2025, the team will begin installing the girders. These are precast concrete beams that will support the bridge deck.
- The east side of the underpass under South Pleasant Valley Road is scheduled to completed by the end of December.
- Construction and excavation for the west side of the underpass will begin upon completion of the east side. Construction on the west side of the underpass is expected to be completed by May 2025
The $23 million project will allow bicyclists and pedestrians complete separation from cars. Project plans include a shaded plaza area, lighting, benches, and other people-friendly features and a new trail underpass at Pleasant Valley Road. The total bridge length will be approximately 0.43 of a mile, and it will have an average width of 30 feet.
The planning and approval process for the bridge started in 2018, and its original budget was $15 million. Austin voters approved $20 million for the project in a 2020 bond election, but escalating costs and an expanded scope drove the budget higher. A $4.1 million federal grant obtained in 2023 helped fill the gap.
The city expects to finish the bridge in 2026.
