Project Overview

The City of Georgetown is planning for the design and future construction of two pedestrian and bicycle bridges crossing the north and south forks of the San Gabriel River and adjacent the existing Austin Avenue bridges. The pedestrian and bicycle bridges will connect to the north and south portions of the San Gabriel River Trail.

The bridges will incorporate the aesthetic feel and history of downtown and create a sense of arrival into Georgetown.

The goals of the Austin Avenue Pedestrian Bridges are to:

• Create a gateway that announces the proximity to historic downtown Georgetown
• Provide effective connections between existing pedestrian and bicycle networks
• Enhance the San Gabriel River green areas, corridors and trails
• Ensure compatibility with restored existing Austin Avenue vehicular bridges
• Balance aesthetics, constructability, environmental compliance and costs

The City has hired Freese and Nichols in collaboration with Rosales + Partners to design the future pedestrian bridges.

Bridge Design

City Council on March 26, 2024, directed staff to move forward with the second bridge design concept.

Estimated Cost: $18.3M
*Subject to change based on design changes and engineering needs

Features:

• Curved design away from vehicle bridges
• Lookout to the east
• Modern take on classic truss bridge design

Now that a preferred concept is chosen, the team will develop the design to 30 percent. Additional input on bridge details such as materials, texture, paint, and other aesthetics will be collected at future phases in project development.

The project team initially developed three design concepts for the new pedestrian and bicycle bridges and presented them to City Council on Aug. 22, 2023. See the entire presentation to Council here.

Bridge concepts were developed with a combination of preliminary technical evaluations for constructability and cost, and public and council input. Council balanced several factors such as constructability, cost, environmental impacts, and public input to determine which bridges concept moved forward with further design.

Public Engagement

The project team has been conducting outreach since early 2023 to gather input and share project updates. Previous events include:

• 2023 Red Poppy Festival
• Stakeholder Meetings
• Downtown Georgetown Association
• Meeting with City Parks Department
• North Old Town Neighborhood Association Meeting
• City Council Workshops
• 2023 Gather Round Georgetown Project Expo
• 2023 National Night Out
• 2023 Autumn Art Stroll
• Online comment form

Project Schedule

*Subject to change

Early to Mid-2023

• Collect data
• Conduct outreach
• Develop conceptual alternatives
• Coordinate with agencies and stakeholder partners

Late  2023

• Present the conceptual alternatives and collect feedback from City Council and the community
• Review community feedback and select preferred concept

April 2024: City Council meeting
August 2024: 30 percent design
January 2025: 60 percent design
July 2025: 90 percent design
October 2025: 100 percent design
November 2025: Bidding and award
December 2025-July 2027: Construction
July 2027: Completion

Background and Funding

The historic Austin Avenue Bridges were originally constructed in 1940 and do not have adequate pedestrian or bicycle facilities. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) issued load restrictions on the bridges beginning in 2013 and the need for improvements was identified and confirmed by 2015.

From 2016 to 2020, the City, in cooperation with TxDOT, conducted studies and worked with the community to identify needs and preferred improvements for the bridges. Through that process, a separated pedestrian and bicycle bridge was identified as the best solution to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety while creating a gateway to Georgetown.

This project is partly funded through the voter-approved Mobility Georgetown Bond 2021. The following shows a general summary of the $18.3 million cost estimate:

• Construction estimate: $12.7 million (includes 10 percent design contingency and 10 percent construction contingency)
• Design and construction phase services: $2.8 million
• Miscellaneous costs, including traffic control and stormwater management plans, tree preservation services, signing, pavement marking, lighting and electrical (this number may go down the further we get into design): $1.3 million
• Construction management and material inspections: $1 million
• Connection to trails: ~$500,000

Construction could begin in 2025 and the construction timeline is dependent on the selected bridge design. More information on construction details will be shared before work begins.

Project Contact

City staff and the project team are always available to visit about the project. Please email us with any questions or comments: AustinAve@georgetown.org or pio@georgetown.org.