The Violet Crown Trail system now features another mile to travel in Southwest Austin. A new, one-mile extension was officially opened to the public Saturday.
The newly opened section stretches from Home Depot Boulevard to the MoPac Expressway just north of William Cannon Drive. The hike-and-bike path now offers 11 miles of uninterrupted trail from Zilker Park to Slaughter Creek.
Once complete, the trail — "10 to 11 feet wide, ADA-accessible and composed of both concrete and stabilized granite," says the city of Austin site — will continue 30 miles south from the Springs into the Hill Country west of Buda.
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin), Austin Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis, Sunset Valley Mayor Marc Bruner, and Hill Country Conservancy's Kathy Miller gave remarks at the extension ribbon-cutting.
The project is funded by 2012 and 2016 Mobility Bonds as well as a Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization grant. The trail is expected to reach the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center by the end 2024.
