Georgetown is working on two projects to upgrade Austin Avenue: the rehabilitation of the historic vehicular bridges and the construction of separate pedestrian and bicycle crossings.
The vehicular bridges are currently under construction, while the city continues to work on the design of the new pedestrian bridges after hitting a setback in December.
These two projects will improve safety and accessibility in this high-traffic area, as well as accommodate the growing Georgetown population, according to city documents.
The bigger picture
Austin Avenue is “an important entry point to [the] historic square,” Systems Engineering Director Wesley Wright said in a statement.
The new pedestrian bridges will link the north and south portions of the river trails, city documents show.
At the same time, the rehabilitation of the vehicle bridges aims to remove load weight limits and extend its lifespan.
“The rehabilitated vehicular bridges and the new pedestrian bridges are elements of the larger Austin Avenue improvement project, which will enhance traffic flow and safety,” Wright said in the statement.
Looking ahead, the city is also planning a roundabout at the intersection of San Gabriel Village Boulevard and Austin Avenue.
Digging deeper
Construction began on the Austin Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation project in October 2024, almost a decade after the city first identified structural issues resulting from deterioration and increased traffic in the area. From 2016 to 2020, the city worked with the Texas Department of Transportation to conduct studies and community outreach to find the preferred solution, according to city documents.
To preserve the history and character of the bridges that cross the north and south forks of the San Gabriel River, the city chose to rehabilitate them rather than replace them.
The $12.7 million project, funded by the 2021 voter-approved mobility bond, will address the structural repairs, as well as safety upgrades and drainage improvements.
Crews are replacing the bridge surface and supports, repairing damaged concrete, and cleaning and repainting the structure. The project will also widen existing lanes to 11 feet, add shoulders and install new railings, according to city documents.
During construction, Austin Avenue has been reduced to one lane in each direction from West Morrow Street to Second Street. The rehabilitation is expected to be complete this spring, officials said.
Austin Avenue traffic data
The 2024 Austin Avenue corridor study by the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization reviewed traffic along Austin Avenue. From FM 971 to University Avenue, it found the following:
- 30,000 average vehicles per day between 2020-2023
- 352 total vehicle crashes between 2018-2022
- 8 signalized intersections
- 13 pedestrian crossings
What else
The city is also working on a separate project to build pedestrian and bicycle bridges parallel to the existing vehicular bridges. Plans for these bridges happened concurrently with the rehabilitation plans, as the city recognized the “very narrow sidewalks on the bridges,” Wright said.
Although Georgetown City Council originally approved the design for these bridges in March 2024, the project faced a setback in December after design firm Freese and Nichols miscalculated the amount of steel needed.
“Our [quality control] process caught it, but unfortunately it was at the 90% [design] stage and is late in the game, obviously, with the costs where we are,” Freese and Nichols CEO Brian Coltharp said at a Dec. 9 council workshop meeting.
In response, the firm offered a partial refund of fees and presented alternative designs to City Council, which landed on a concrete bridge that is less expensive to construct. The revised design is estimated to cost $14.7 million for construction, and is tentatively scheduled to wrap up in July 2027.
“We’re not building ... this pedestrian bridge, for any of us,” Georgetown resident Liz Weaver said to City Council at a March 2024 meeting. “We’re building it for our grandchildren. ... You have the option to build something where people walk out on it at night and go, ‘Wow, this is so cool.’”
How we got here
- 1940: Austin Avenue bridges constructed
- 1999: Bridges eligible for National Register of Historic Bridges
- 2007: Georgetown assumes ownership of bridges from Texas Department of Transportation
- 2013: TxDOT implements load restrictions on bridges
- 2014: City identifies need for repair or replacement of bridges due to deterioration and increased traffic
- 2016: Study and design for bridges rehabilitation begins; identifies need for separate pedestrian bridges
- 2021: Voters approve mobility bond to fund bridge projects
- 2023: Vehicular bridges construction begins
- 2025: City Council selects a new design for pedestrian bridges
- 2026: Vehicular bridges expected to be complete in spring
- 2027: Pedestrian bridges expected to be complete in summer
What's next
The roundabout project at San Gabriel Village Boulevard is designed to reduce speeds and improve visibility, according to city documents.
Design for the project is 60% complete, officials said. In a statement, Communications Manager Keith Hutchinson said there’s not a set timeline for construction but that it will begin after the pedestrian and bicycle bridges are finished.
Funded by the Georgetown Transportation Enhancement Corp. sales tax, the project will cost $8 million
City officials are brainstorming temporary solutions for pedestrian access to cross the rivers before the pedestrian bridges begin construction, according to city documents.
