Austin is gearing up to greenlight a nearly $23 million deal for a new pedestrian and cyclist bridge across Lady Bird Lake. Slated for the City Council's approval on Thursday, the contract with Jay-Reese Contractors Inc. includes a $20.7 million base amount with an added $2 million contingency sum, according to KXAN.
The long-anticipated "wishbone" bridge project has been six years in the making and aims to improve safety and mobility in east Austin, near the Longhorn Dam. The city has been eying, a solution to the bottlenecked sidewalk along South Pleasant Valley Road, where pedestrians and cyclists grapple with congestion.
An extra boost of federal funds amounting to $4.1 million was handed to city officials earlier this month by Congressman Greg Casar, as reported by KUT News. This cash infusion helps bridge a budget gap, allowing the project to move forward despite prior financial shortfalls and ballooning costs.
The innovative design features a center plaza with benches, bike racks, and ornamental trees. Public artwork, initially slated for Houston artist Dixie Friend Gay before she declined the contract, will adorn the space. "This bridge is the permanent solution to fully complete the Roy Butler Trail," Austin's Transportation and Public Works Director Richard Mendoza told KUT News. "It's going to be a destination, a gathering place for our community, especially the East Austin community."
