Crossing the heavily trafficked Burnet Road on foot or bicycle is about to become easier as the city of Austin’s Corridor Program Office begins construction on a pedestrian crossing signal at the Twin Oaks Drive intersection.

The pedestrian hybrid beacon will allow pedestrians and bicyclists to press a button that will then signal to oncoming traffic to stop and allow people to cross the street. The beacon will be located near businesses such as Yard Bar, Bufalina Due, Barley Swine, PAZ Veterinary and the Marq on Burnet apartment complex, which has first-floor retail.

“It’s not necessarily an intersection where traffic would normally stop,” said Dea Crichton, a communications manager with the corridor program office. “The only reason they would be engaged is that there is a pedestrian or bicyclist that needs to cross.”

According to a press release from the corridor program office, the project will begin July 29 and finish in mid-August. Construction will take place daily between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., closing one or more lanes near the Burnet and Twin Oaks intersection. Lane closures will not be in effect during peak hours or overnight.

Construction crews will trench under the road to lay down cables that will connect the pedestrian hybrid beacon on both sides of Burnet. They will install plates or pavement covers for vehicles so vehicles can continue to use the road. The contractor for the project is Mas-Tec.

The project costs between $175,000 and $200,000 with funding coming from the city's 2016 mobility bond. It is a part of a broader program to improve mobility along Burnet.