Earlier this year on Feb. 7, Austin Parks and Recreation opened its long-term build, a pedestrian and bicycle bridge, to the public. The bridge is over Lady Bird Lake, providing a spacious, car-free path across the water on the Ann and Roy Butler trail. After the plan was originally introduced in 2018, construction began in 2024 and was completed this February, and it is now available for the community’s use.
At McCallum, many students and staff choose to bike or walk, either as a mode of transportation to school or simply for recreation. One student, Sophomore Nora Murdock, has been biking to school since elementary and is especially thankful for the close proximity she has to McCallum.
“Biking gives me a lot of initiative and the ability to make decisions for myself,” Murdock said. “Like, I get to choose when I leave for school and things.”
Murdock is not the only student who chooses to get to school this way. While Murdock doesn’t commute with anyone else, she is aware of other bikers who come together or meet up on routes to get to school.
“There is certainly a community at McCallum around biking,” Murdock said.
While Murdock lives close to school and has a generally easy route, this year has provided challenges for her with the construction on the field and track.
“I used to have my bike over by the track so I could get out of school fast at the end of the day and not have to go by cars,” Murdock said. “With the construction over there, it’s more unsafe.”
With this, Murdock believes the new wishbone bridge would eliminate similar issues down south, protecting bikers and pedestrians.
“I think it’ll be a great thing and hopefully reduce traffic and such,” Murdock said.
Public Information Specialist Senior with the Austin Transportation and Public Works team, Brad Cesak, stated that the overall goal of the bridge was to provide a connection point between three points on the Ann and Roy Butler trail.
“The project develops a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Lady Bird Lake, near Longhorn Dam, and a new underpass underneath the busy Road,” Cesak said.
Social studies teacher, Joseph Carcione bikes to school in order to save money as well as biking around town for recreational purposes. Before the project was completed, Carcione would bike down the trails, stating it was hard to have to go up onto Pleasant Valley Road in order to cross. Cesak mentions this was an important reason behind the development of the bridge.
“The bridge closes a critical gap and provides a lake-level alternative to the shared-use paths on Pleasant Valley Road and Longhorn Dam Bridge,” Cesak said.
Along with the bridge, an underpass was built named the Unity Underpass. It connects Longhorn Shores to the Roy G. Guerrero trail. The Unity Underpass is a long archway with floor lighting and lined drainage pathways, it also includes Austin art along the walls through Absolute Equality: Unity Tunnel by Reginald Adams.
“Over 200 local residents contributed to the new public artwork that spans over 5,000 square feet,” Cesak said.
The underpass provides a safer and better lit pathway for pedestrians and cyclists. As Murdock assumed, this eliminates traffic and safety issues as well. Carcione frequently goes on rides down the route of the new bridge and agrees that the change has made it easier to get around.
“Since they redid the bridge and the tunnel, it gives you more of a connection to both the Walnut Creek bike trail and the Town Lake trail,” Carcione said.
According to Cesak, the community response as a whole has been overwhelmingly positive, from social media and in-person at the ribbon cutting. Carcione has seen this response as well, with the amount of people on the trail and in the area.
“There’s a lot more pedestrians, and a lot more people running,” Carcione said. “It does a better job of connecting people on the other side of Pleasant Valley, for bicyclists, it makes it so we’re not on the street so it’s definitely safer.”
The bridge finished four months ahead of schedule and alongside the connection of the paths and the unity bridge, improved the surrounding parkland areas by adding new park benches and bike racks as well as 85 new mature trees, to replace dying or dead trees. A decision to not place any new trailheads was also made in order to preserve the surrounding areas.
“This was decided to protect the neighborhoods from noise and large group congestion, and to keep trail traffic moving,” Cesak said.
This park’s project was overall intended to improve the trail routes and complete the Ann and Roy Butler Trail, making it a seamless 10-mile loop. The completion has allowed walkers, runners, and cyclists to avoid dangerous interactions with cars and enjoy a continuous loop around Ladybird Lake.
Next, the Parks department will begin designing and constructing more trail infrastructure available to bikes and pedestrians along Cesar Chavez Street and Red Bluff Road. This will directly connect to the Wishbone bridge on the East side. They are looking to begin construction in 2027. Murdock is hopeful that when both this construction, and the construction around McCallum is completed, biking will become simpler and more enjoyable for the community.
“I’m ready for it to be easier and more convenient to get around again,” Murdock said.
