Austin has engaged HDR to explore potential rehabilitation options for the century-old Third Street trestle bridge while ownership remains unresolved. A longstanding ownership dispute between the city and Union Pacific has delayed definitive planning, though the city and partners have invested significant time and money in preservation efforts. The Downtown Commission received an update tied to the Cypress and Shoal Creek Public Space Strategy to improve connections around Third Street and Shoal Creek. City staff are negotiating ownership and are reluctant to set a public timeline or advance design alternatives until ownership is clarified. The trestle is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and sits near Seaholm, the central library, and the Shoal Creek trail.
Currently, the city of Austin is working to negotiate ownership of the trestle, and until (ownership is established) it's not really appropriate to move forward with a bunch of alternatives for designing and rehabilitating this asset when it's not 100 percent clear that the city has complete ownership.
is the last iconic structure that remains
We may be a leader in many things. We're not a leader in historic preservation,
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