Work Begins on Lady Bird Lake Trail Bridge Under Congress Avenue

A rendering of the planned bridge under Congress Avenue. Image: The Trail Foundation

The Trail Foundation, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to the upkeep of the city’s Hike and Bike Trail, celebrated a groundbreaking ceremony last night commemorating the start of construction on a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge for the stretch of the trail underneath the north end of the Congress Avenue Bridge. According to the foundation, the bridge is planned to open this summer, with a price tag of $2.5 million.

Barges in place under the Congress Avenue Bridge will be used to construct the trail bridge. Image: The Trail Foundation

In addition to its utility for trail users, the 14-foot wide pedestrian structure will serve as a viewing platform for the bat colonies underneath the bridge. According to the Trail Foundation’s press release announcing the groundbreaking, the structure will be built from concrete and steel with a design stated to be similar to that of the trail’s boardwalk, and that’s a pretty safe bet — contracting firm Jay-Reese, which built both the boardwalk and the trail’s Pfluger pedestrian bridge, will also handle this bridge’s construction.

A view of the existing wooden bridge under Congress Avenue. Image: The Trail Foundation

The existing section of trail underneath the northern end of the Congress Avenue Bridge, a narrow wooden structure unsuitable for current trail traffic. Image: The Trail Foundation

The existing section of trail under the Congress Avenue Bridge is an aging wooden structure too narrow to allow cyclists and pedestrians to pass safely:

In addition to the bat viewing area, the new 172-foot long pedestrian bridge will also enhance Trail safety for pedestrians and bicyclists by removing a blind curve on the existing structure, widening the pathway to allow cyclists and runners to pass each other safely without the risk of collision, making the area ADA-accessible, connecting the Trail to the Waller Creek area, and lowering the city’s maintenance costs.

— The Trail Foundation, March 29, 2018

The bridge has been in the planning stages since at least 2015, but it makes good sense for the project to kick off in earnest now — the Line ATX hotel project redeveloping the Radisson just north of the Congress Avenue Bridge will open later this spring, meaning the section of the trail passing under the north side of the bridge is practically in the hotel’s backyard.

A rendering of the Line ATX redevelopment of the Radisson hotel near the Congress Avenue Bridge. You’ll probably be able to see the new trail bridge from the hotel’s pool. Image: The Line ATX

Keeping that in mind, it’s no surprise that the Line is listed in the Trail Foundation’s donor list as a “Lakefront Sponsor” — indicating the hotel has donated $50,000 or more towards the bridge’s completion. Amusingly enough, one of the Line’s four restaurants is a burger bar named Bridge & Trail. Draw your own conclusions, folks.

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