What happened
The federal grant was announced April 4 by U.S. Rep Greg Casar, D-Austin, who worked to secure the funds for the city project through his office.
Casar, a former City Council member, was joined by city officials and other Austinites to celebrate the additional funding for the "wishbone"-shaped bridge that's expected to begin construction this spring after years of development.
“This $4 million is what’s necessary for us to have the kind of amazing bridge that doesn’t just get you from one side to the other but makes you want to hang out in East Austin, makes you remember what’s amazing about this place, and gives you and your family a free place to enjoy this city," Casar said. "Because in a place that is getting more and more expensive, people deserve something free, something public, something enjoyable.”
The Longhorn Dam Bridge will link Longhorn Shores on the lake's southern banks with Holly Shores, and a peninsula of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail to the north.
In addition to the lake crossing, the project will also replace the existing pedestrian underpass at the south end of Pleasant Valley Road's crossing of Longhorn Dam. The new 30-foot-by-13-foot underpass with lighting features work from a local artist.
The bridge project follows other recent mobility upgrades around the dam itself.
More information, including reports from past community engagement that helped shape the final bridge design, is available on the city's project page.
What they're saying
City Council member José Velásquez, who represents District 3, including the eastern side of Lady Bird Lake, said the new bridge will be a notable new transportation opportunity in East Austin.
"We will see major increases in safety and mobility for East Austinites and all those who depend on the trail," he said. "We’ll keep pedestrians, cyclists and motorists safe through new dedicated paths, and we’ll help connect thousands of working families to jobs on both slides of the Lady Bird. This project will also help keep our commitment to improving our environment by encouraging alternative forms of transportation and reducing the impact of vehicle emissions.”
“We love this new wishbone bridge. We’re so excited to have access to the rest of the trail and to have a safe ride.”
BikeTexas Executive Director Robin Stallings said the bridge will be an important connection for the hike and bike trail.
“While we’ve seen a few of these, we haven’t seen any that are better. This is such an exciting project I can hardly overstate it," he said.
Project funding
Citing the need for additional City Council approval, the Capital Delivery Services declined to confirm the initiative's total cost or funding sources in early April. Council could consider the project funding as soon as April 18.
Previously, $600,000 from the city's 2016 mobility bond was dedicated to initial engineering, and $15 million from the 2020 mobility bond was reserved for designing and building the bridge.
A public solicitation for project construction closed in January and drew three bids ranging from $20.75 million to $30.59 million.
