Boardwalk project begins for trail

AUSTIN (KXAN) - It was talked about for years, and started coming to life this past fall. The Boardwalk Trail Project in Austin is underway.

The construction work is along the south shore of Lady Bird Lake, just east of Interstate 35. Crews are working both on land and in the water.

Executive Director of The Trail Foundation, Susan Rankin, says crews have poured 25 concrete piers, which now are sticking up out of the water.

• Renderings of the project

The work on the water is one phase of the project right now. On land, crews are constructing retaining walls with large limestone blocks.

Further east down Lady Bird Lake, is the staging area for the workers. Heavy machinery and equipment move the parts that will become the extension to the hike and bike trail.

Fred Mindermann's apartment overlooks the lake, and he has a front row view of the current construction work.

"I think it's going to create a great capability for people to be able to get out and exercise and enjoy the water," said Mindermann.

The boardwalk will close about a one mile gap in the hike and bike trail, where people now have to get off and use the narrow sidewalk on Riverside Drive.

"Safety was huge reason that we worked for this for so hard for so long," said Rankin.

Rankin says all the pieces needed to fall into place--design, engineering, public participation and environmental concerns.

People like Mindermann are taking note of those concerns. He says he's thrilled to see a much-needed project in the works and equally as happy to see it done while protecting the natural habitat.

"It's a tribute to the government and the city's voters on how they feel about their city," Mindermann said.

Rankin says The Trail Foundation predicts the project to take 18 months. That projection is from the start date back in October. So, the Boardwalk Trail Project should be open in the spring of 2014.

Austin voters approved millions of dollars in bonds to build the boardwalk.  The project was expected to cost $17 million.

$3 million of that cost is being raised through private donations to the The Trail Foundation, a non-profit.

Bids for the project came in around $21 million. The city re-allocated money from another bond to cover the higher cost.