Frequent runners, bicyclists and dog-walkers on the 10 miles of hike-and-bike trail at Lady Bird Lake will have a new trail on which to run when a new boardwalk is built in the upcoming year.
For more than 30 years, people circling the trail have run onto the Riverside Drive sidewalks and the access road of Interstate Highway 35. That 1.1-mile-long gap in the trail begins on the east side of the Austin American-Statesman building and ends near South Lakeshore Boulevard.
In a competitive process to select a builder, Austin City Council approved a contract with Jacobs Carter Burgess Inc. last Thursday for a boardwalk to close the gap in the trail. The boardwalk, which was proposed a year ago and has been negotiated by council since then, is expected to be a concrete trail that runs directly over the lake like a bridge.
"I think it's a very high priority to finish up Lady Bird Lake trail," said Councilman Lee Leffingwell. "It's been a missing component for a number of years, and I am a great
supporter."
The Austin Parks and Recreation Department is now
soliciting a contractor to
design the boardwalk, said Stuart Strong, the department's acting director.
Strong said though the cost of the project depends on bids the city receives from contractors, the department expects the boardwalk project to cost about $10 million. Construction is expected to begin in June 2009 and be finished by June 2010.
When the construction process begins, Strong said, runners will not be affected by the work because they are already forced to use an alternate route.
"It's exciting for runners because some people don't make the full circuit because they object to running on the street," Strong said.
Advertising senior Tessa Judson, who runs on the trail, said the current route can be inconvenient and that she is excited for the boardwalk because the trail will be much smoother.
"It will be a very positive investment for Austin pedestrians," said Councilwoman
Sheryl Cole.
The parks and recreation department is also considering additional improvements to the trail, such as restrooms, water fountains and parking lots that the department will soon request of city council, Strong said.
Be the first to comment on this article!