City of Austin going ahead on Pfluger Bridge Extension

The city sent the following press release regarding the ongoing construction y'all may have noticed near the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge. Read on for details on what the City is going to be doing with the yet-unfinished extension of the bridge throughout the year:

Pfluger Bridge Extension begins construction

Austin’s popular Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge will get a new extension this year. The northwest arm of the bridge will be an overpass for pedestrians and bicyclists to easily cross over Cesar Chavez Street from above street level.

Work began this week on the construction, which is expected to last until December 2010.

The bridge follows alongside Sandra Muraida Way, and ends just before the Gables development. The project will also include an earthen, landscaped mound where the bridge extension meets the land on the north side of Cesar Chavez Street. At the ramp’s conclusion there will be a bicycle round-about with connections to hike-and-bike trail and Lance Armstrong Bikeway.

The existing Pfluger Bridge and Cesar Chavez Street will be closed for a short portion of the project in late summer to set the large bridge beams above the roadway. There is no traffic impact expected before then, but pedestrians and cyclists should exercise caution around the construction site.

More available at: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/publicworks/pflugerbridge_design.htm

FINALLY! Glad to hear things are underway. Wonder what this project is going to cost when all is said and done, and why the folks from Nueces who are so concerned with the financial impact of cycling infrastructure on the city's tax revenues aren't in an uproar over the dollars being pulled from such forward looking projects like widening streets and building overpasses to finish this bridge. At an ESTIMATED cost of $2,000,000 for the bridge vs. $350,000 for Nueces, this project makes the bike boulevard looks like a drop in the bucket. Interesting to see the opposition's true colors when the project isn't in their back yard (or front porches, in this case).