Construction Impacts on the Trail
Here are any impacts to the Ann & Roy Butler Trail that could cause detours or slowdowns in your daily route.
The Austin Transportation and Public Works Department will start construction on 10/28/24 on a new shared-use path project on the south side of W Cesar Chavez St. in downtown Austin. The project will install a new concrete shared-use path between Sandra Muraida Way and San Antonio St.
During this construction time, there will be an approximately two-week minor detour in November/December to the Butler Trail that will direct Trail users slightly south of the Trail through the parkland.
A new detour route on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail at Waller Creek will be put into place on Monday, October 14, and is scheduled to remain in place through mid-December 2024.
The new route will take users over Waller Creek on a temporary creek crossing. This detour will not require trail users to dismount bicycles and no equipment crossings of the trail are planned. For safety reasons, the entire route will be fenced on either side.
Bicyclists and pedestrians should continue to use caution on the detour route. If accessing the trail from Trinity Street, be aware that this location has a construction entrance. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, with occasional weekend work.
The Austin Transportation and Public Works Dept. will be issuing the notice to proceed (NTP) to the contractor for the new Longhorn Dam pedestrian bridge construction project on July 1, 2024. You will start to see activity on this date or shortly after.
There will be an 18-month detour to the Butler Trail during this construction time that will direct Trail users across Pleasant Valley Rd and back again at two locations and along the east side of the bridge. The detour will continue along Canterbury St. to Pedernales and connect to the Trail. Both crossings at Pleasant Valley Rd will be at pedestrian hybrid beacons.
Timeline from the City of Austin Capital Delivery Services:Â
July 1 – Construction Begins
- Trail users will notice fencing being installed around the planned construction areas of Canterbury Park, Longhorn Shores and Krieg Fields.
- The public will still have full access to Krieg Fields during construction.
- Longhorn Shores will be closed to the public.
- The tunnel from Krieg Fields under Pleasant Valley Road will be closed to the public.
- Mulch sock and erosion control measures will be put into place in designated construction areas.
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July 8 – Closures Begin
- Vehicular traffic going eastbound on Canterbury Street will be closed. One way traffic flow will continue westbound.
- Access to Canterbury Park and its parking lot will be closed to the public.
- The unnamed peninsula beginning near Holly Street will be closed to the public.
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August 21 – Hike and Bike Trail Detour Begins
- Users of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail will be rerouted along the east side of Pleasant Valley Rd between the traffic signal and pedestrian hybrid beacon and back to the west side of Pleasant Valley Rd.
- The detour will continue westbound along Canterbury Street and complete southbound down Pedernales and Holly Streets.
- The detour is expected to last for 3- 3 1/2 months.
The Watershed Protection Department is managing and funding this project. You can find more information about the project here. Watershed will issue the Notice to Proceed to the contractor in early October 2024. This project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025, depending on the weather. During this construction period, a detour will be in place for Watershed’s contractors to work on the bank stabilization project. The detour will utilize:
- the new spur trail that the Austin Parks Department is building now in collaboration with Watershed,Â
- separated and safe paths along Toomey Rd, and
- delineated paths by the baseball fields.
There will be a person with a flag near Toomey, and periodically, bicyclists and pedestrians may need to stop briefly to allow construction traffic to cross the detour path. Â
