New $4.6M bridge planned for Austin pedestrians, bikers. Here’s where.

Plans for the $4.6 million pedestrian bridge are in the pipeline, according to a recent filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). The bridge, planned along North Lamar Boulevard, would run adjacent to the existing Walnut Creek Bridge and include a shared-use path on both sides. 

While details submitted to the TDLR are subject to change, construction could begin in September 2027, lasting through mid-April 2028. Austin-based Freese and Nichols Inc. is the listed design firm. 

Chron was awaiting a response from the City of Austin Urban Trails team at the time of publication.

The planned bridge is near an area where safety concerns have previously been raised. In 2023, an anonymous city employee told Axios Austin that heavy traffic and poor visibility near Walnut Creek Park Road and North Lamar Boulevard made accessing Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park stressful, noting that the park is frequented by cyclists, dog walkers, families and other visitors. 

The planned pedestrian bridge comes amid years of bicycle and pedestrian improvements around Walnut Creek and North Lamar. City documents from 2020 described a separate Northern Walnut Creek Trail project that included an enhanced crossing for cyclists and pedestrians at North Lamar, separated from vehicle traffic. 

The bridge is part of a broader upgrade of the North Lamar Boulevard corridor, according to the City of Austin website. Funded by the 2016 Austin Mobility Bond, the project is focused on installing mobility, safety and connectivity improvements to North Lamar Blvd between U.S. 183 and Howard Lane.

In addition to the shared-use pedestrian bridge over Walnut Creek, the city plans bicycle and pedestrian improvements between U.S. 183 and Rundberg Lane, including bus stops, driveways and ADA-compliant curb ramps. Between Rundberg and Parmer lanes, plans also call for upgraded sidewalks, bike lanes and traffic signals.

When the broader project broke ground in 2019, city officials described North Lamar Boulevard as a “high priority” corridor, according to Community Impact.