The Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail, a popular 10-mile path in Austin, will face significant changes throughout an eight-year construction project modifying I-35. This work will result in periodic closures of the trail, with plans for detours still unclear. During complicated construction phases, the trail may close for up to five days at a time, occurring no more than three times yearly. The Trail Conservancy aims to maintain a safe experience for the millions who use the trail each year, and discussions are ongoing for a new path design.
"We definitely want to keep this as safe as possible," said Charlotte Tonsor, executive projects director with The Trail Conservancy. "We understand what this will do to the daily use, to the weekly use, to the visits."
The rerouted path under I-35 should be 'between 10 to 14 feet in width' to accommodate the thousands of people who pass through the area every day.
During more complex phases of demolition and building, the popular pathway could be completely closed at I-35 for up to five days at a time. TxDOT said this won't happen more than three times per year.
A diagram in TxDOT's construction plans suggests at least part of the detour could be a five-foot-wide temporary concrete sidewalk.
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