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.
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-January 2025.
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.
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.
The Longhorn Dam – Wishbone Bridge construction project will have a new detour route starting on or around December 17, 2024. All Trail users will need to use the designated sidewalks on the east side of Pleasant Valley Rd.
The unpaved area just west of Pleasant Valley Rd. between the bridge and the southern detour will no longer be open as the west side of the bridge will be closed. Please follow the signs and use the detour as noted for your safety.Â
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
