Austin City Council votes to fully replace 97-year-old Barton Springs Road bridge

Ella McCarthy, Austin American-Statesman
Updated ·2 min read
The line to enter the Austin City Limits Music Festival stretches down Barton Springs Road and out onto the bridge over Barton Creek in 2017. The City Council approved a design plan for the replacement of the bridge Thursday.
The line to enter the Austin City Limits Music Festival stretches down Barton Springs Road and out onto the bridge over Barton Creek in 2017. The City Council approved a design plan for the replacement of the bridge Thursday.

The Barton Spring Road bridge at the entrance of Zilker Park will be replaced, the Austin City Council decided Thursday.

The bridge is in structurally fair condition, the city says, but does not meet current design standards for its dimensions, sidewalks and bike lanes. There are concerns about the deterioration of parts of the bridge, including cracks in the deck and delamination of beams, and some load restrictions were put in place in November.

The bridge does not pose a public safety issue right now, said Eric Bailey of the city's Capital Delivery Services Department, but is trending in that direction.

"If left as-is, we would eventually have to restrict large loads (trucks, buses, etc.) from using this bridge," the City Council recommendation for action states.

The plan approved by the City Council calls for a three-span bridge with "Y-shaped" piers.

This rendering shows the three-span bridge with "Y-shaped" piers. The City Council approved the design for the Barton Springs Road bridge at its meeting last week.
This rendering shows the three-span bridge with "Y-shaped" piers. The City Council approved the design for the Barton Springs Road bridge at its meeting last week.

The bridge, which was built in 1926 and expanded in 1946, has about 20,000 vehicles crossing it daily, Bailey said, and serves as a hub for popular events such as the Austin City Limits and South by Southwest music festivals.

The project is estimated to cost $37 million, according to the Capital Services Department, and is the least structurally complex of the replacement options that were being weighed.

"The full bridge replacement option provides the most cost-effective and the longest useful life," the city recommendation for action states.

The design phase will be from 2024 to 2026, and construction is estimated to be from 2026 to 2029, according to a Capital Delivery Services presentation.

"The 2020 bond funded this project through design, and staff is currently looking at developing options to fund the construction when that comes to be," Bailey said.

The City Council will need to approve a bid from a contractor before construction occurs.

Tony Smith, the owner of Jarvis Boards, paddles beneath the Baton Springs Road bridge on Barton Creek in Austin in 2017. Construction on the bridge could begin as soon as 2026.
Tony Smith, the owner of Jarvis Boards, paddles beneath the Baton Springs Road bridge on Barton Creek in Austin in 2017. Construction on the bridge could begin as soon as 2026.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin City Council approves plan to replace Barton Spring bridge