A wishbone-shaped bridge near Longhorn Dam in East Austin is starting to take form.
Construction on the bridge, which is expected to cost roughly $25 million in federal funds and a voter-approved transportation bond, started in July, with expected completion by the summer of 2026. The bridge is being built over Lady Bird Lake to connect to the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail at Longhorn Shores, Canterbury, and the Holly Peninsula.
- The pedestrian bridge across the Holly Shores Peninsula has been removed.
- Abutments, the support structures for the new bridge, have been constructed along Canterbury Park, Longhorn Shores, and the unnamed peninsula in the area. You can see the abutments from South Pleasant Valley Road.
- A tunnel under South Pleasant Valley Road has been sealed with concrete.
- The east side of the new underpass under South Pleasant Valley Road has been excavated.
Lane closures on South Pleasant Valley Road remain, but officials with Capital Delivery Services said traffic closures will shift to the west side of the tunnel under the road in mid-December.
Trail users will continue to be detoured to the east side of South Pleasant Valley Road and Canterbury Street in the Holly neighborhood.
Art for the bridge is also in the works.
This rendering shows what the 14 new benches along the new bridge will look like when it opens. (Lemmo Architecture and Design and The Trail Conservancy)
The Trail Conservancy plans to unveil 14 benches when the bridge opens. The so-called Maraca benches will be made of salvaged or reclaimed wood from cypress trees. To honor the neighborhood’s Hispanic roots, the benches will include bright oranges, pinks, and yellows.
"With nods to cultural moments that hold a special place in many of Austinite’s hearts, the benches should feel right at home alongside many of the iconic murals, public art, and other displays of color that can already be found dotting the city’s east side,” a statement from Lemmo Architecture and Design, the firm making the benches, says.
