The Barton Springs Road Bridge spans Barton Creek near Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. The now 100-year-old 1926 concrete arch structure is slated for replacement by the city of Austin. (Jessica McLaren/Community Impact)
A local environmental nonprofit marked the 100th anniversary of the Barton Springs Road Bridge—which opened June 21, 1926, according to a city representative—with a community celebration June 21.
Artists paint a mural reading "Conectando Austin Since 1926" on the underside of the Barton Springs Road Bridge during the centennial celebration June 21, 2026. (Jessica McLaren/Community Impact)
The details
Save Our Springs Alliance, an Austin-based nonprofit focused on protecting the Edwards Aquifer and Barton Springs watershed, hosted a centennial event June 21 at the bridge near the entrance to Zilker Park.
The celebrations took place amid an active debate over the bridge's future, as the city of Austin moves forward with plans to replace the structure
A Save Our Springs Alliance information booth at the Barton Springs Road Bridge centennial event, urging passersby to sign a petition opposing the city of Austin's plans to replace the historic structure. (Jessica McLaren/Community Impact)
Some context
As CommunityImpactreported June 15, Austin Transportation and Public Works has the bridge in the design phase, with bid and award expected late 2026 to early 2027 and construction slated to begin in summer 2027. Funding includes the 2020 Mobility Bond and a $32 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bridge Investment Program.
City officials say the 1926 structure, while structurally fair, has features that are functionally obsolete and presents mobility challenges for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
Save Our Springs contends, citing city documents, that restoration would cost less than demolition and a wider replacement, and that construction would harm Barton Creek habitat and the adjacent Umlauf Sculpture Garden and a nearby archaeological district.
