Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Residents and commissioners press city staff over plan to replace Barton Springs Road bridge
Summary
At an Environmental Commission briefing, city staff said the 1926 Barton Springs Road bridge is structurally beyond light rehabilitation and federal NEPA review is underway; scores of public commenters urged preserving the historic bridge, sought independent engineering reviews and criticized timing and transparency of the replacement decision.
Eric Bailey, deputy director of Capital Delivery Services for the City of Austin, told the Environmental Commission on May 6 that the Barton Springs Road bridge — built in 1926 and expanded in 1946 — is functionally obsolete and shows cracking, exposed steel and delamination that make a light‑touch rehabilitation unlikely.
Bailey said that preliminary engineering and consultant testing show ‘‘there’s no way to have a light touch rehabilitation to this structure’’ and that ‘‘the structural issues here in the deck itself . . . need to be completely replaced.’’ He told commissioners the project is funded mainly by the 2020 general obligation bond program and a $32 million FHWA grant and must complete the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review before construction funding is finalized.
The briefing drew extensive public comment. Neighbors, preservation advocates and scientists told the commission they favor rehabilitation, independent engineering reviews or a parallel pedestrian bridge rather…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
