Backed by federal funds, Austin OKs deal to build pedestrian bridge over Lady Bird Lake
The Austin City Council on Thursday approved a $22.8 million contract to build a long-discussed pedestrian bridge over Lady Bird Lake in East Austin, using federal funds awarded to the city earlier this month to help make the project a reality.
The wishbone-shaped bridge will span just under a half-mile and connect Longhorn Shores, Canterbury Park and a peninsula near Holly Shores. Plans show the spans will connect to the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail and meet to form a 76-foot-wide plaza suspended over the lake with benches, bike racks and trees.
The unanimous vote clears the way for construction of the $25 million project — first considered in 2018 as a remedy to safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists on the Pleasant Valley Road bridge, which has three lanes for traffic with limited sidewalk space over Longhorn Dam.
The approved contract has a baseline of $20.7 million with a more than $2 million contingency, according to the city's briefing documents to the City Council.
The vote represents the city clearing a financial hurdle. Construction cost estimates have risen in the years since the bridge project was first devised.
An early estimate forecast that the "wishbone" bridge option — one of five considered — would cost $12.9 million. In 2020, voters approved a transportation bond proposition that included $20 million for the project, but costs rose in the following years to exceed that.
A $4.1 million federal grant awarded this month made up the difference. The city applied for the grant last year through the office of U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin. The former Austin City Council member represented District 4 when discussions about a possible bridge began.
The project includes plans to replace the current 6-foot-wide pedestrian tunnel under Pleasant Valley Road with a 30-foot-wide tunnel with lighting and a wider sidewalk.
The city staff recommended Jay-Reese Contractors Inc. for the job. The Dripping Springs-based company had the lowest bid of three companies that submitted materials seeking the job, according to the city's briefing documents to the council.
The two other bidders — Boise, Idaho-based McMillen Inc. and San Antonio-based Zachry Construction Corp. — pegged the project cost at $29.7 million and $30.4 million, respectively, according to bid documents.
The city staff expects construction to start this winter and last two years, concluding in the winter of 2026, according to the city's website for project updates. The city had previously estimated the bridge would open in the spring of 2026.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: City of Austin OKs deal to build 'wishbone' bridge over Lady Bird Lake
