City-driven improvements to the Auditorium Shores trailhead began Nov. 20.

More than $2.2 million in renovations will take place at the southwest corner of Riverside Drive and South First Street—a common starting point for trail-goers.

Improvements include an expanded parking lot, new restrooms and water fountains, trail realignment and widening, shoreline restoration work, improved bicycle and pedestrian connectivity and enhanced landscaping and lighting. Trailhead construction will last through July, said Terry Jungman, project coordinator for the city of Austin's Parks and Recreation Department.

"The improvements to the trailhead have been part of a long-term planning effort as it relates to the Town Lake Metro Park," Jungman said. "These improvements and a lot of what we're doing have been on the books for 10 years now."

Construction-related closures and detours will occur minimally throughout the renovation process, he said.

The project is partially funded by a $1 million grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Jungman said. The remaining portion is funded by the city through 2006 and 2012 bond funding, he said.

The project is separate from a $3.5 million project to renovate the rest of Auditorium Shores, Jungman said. C3 Presents will foot the bill for that work, much of which is being done at the same time as the trailhead project, he said.

"There's a lot of efficiency gained by doing these projects at the same time," Jungman said. "You're not displacing the users for multiple years."