Austin is circling a date on the calendar: Saturday, June 6, 2026, when Phase II of the Waterloo Greenway, known as The Confluence, officially opens with a free public celebration. The new 13-acre stretch traces Waller Creek from Fourth Street down to Lady Bird Lake, tying together downtown neighborhoods with a continuous, off-street trail. Along the way, it delivers nearly 1,600 trees, about 200,000 native plants, three lattice bridges, and an 800-foot boardwalk that lets walkers and cyclists skip some of downtown's more hectic intersections.
In a May 6 announcement, the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy and the City of Austin called Phase II a $91.5 million public-private investment and invited everyone to a 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. ribbon-cutting party with park tours, interactive and sensory-friendly scavenger hunts, face painting, live music, and art, according to the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy. “This is a transformational space for Austin,” said Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette, the conservancy’s CEO.
The City of Austin’s project page lists the total construction cost, including contingencies, at $85 million and breaks down funding across multiple city departments, the Waller Creek tax-increment financing zone, and federal support, according to the City of Austin. The city also points to a biofiltration pond that treats roughly 26.2 acres of urban stormwater, along with other nature-based systems that stabilize creek banks and improve water quality.
Local coverage has framed the Confluence as a literal stitch between districts, tying Palm Park and the Rainey Street Historic District to the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center and the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail. Once Phase III is complete, the full system is expected to total about 35 acres of connected parkland, as reported by MySA. Reporters have highlighted the way the Confluence leans into ecology and access rather than the heavier programming that defined earlier sections of the Greenway.
What to expect on opening day
The Confluence celebration is set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 6 and is free and family-friendly. Organizers say $5 parking will be available at the Austin Convention Center 5th Street Garage and are nudging visitors toward transit and rideshare as well, according to the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy. Guests can join guided park tours, check out new gathering spots like Lakeview Terrace and the Explorers Garden, and test-drive the creekside boardwalk and new bridge connections on foot or by bike.
Why it matters
The Confluence is not just a pretty stretch of trail. It was designed to boost downtown resilience, with native landscaping and expanded tree canopy aimed at cooling the urban core. The new stormwater systems are engineered to cut runoff and erosion during heavy rains, the city notes. Officials also argue that a continuous, car-free trail will encourage more people to stick around downtown and move between districts on foot or two wheels, which they say can give local businesses and civic life a healthy nudge.
With Phase II complete, the conservancy is shifting attention to Palm Park and Phase III, the 4th-to-12th-street segment that will finish the 1.5-mile trail and further expand connected green space through downtown, MySA reports. While the Confluence itself is largely done, planners say design and fundraising work are still underway for the remaining pieces of the Waterloo Greenway.
