"The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is paying for the boardwalk as compensation for taking several slices of parkland around Lady Bird Lake to make space for the expansion of I-35 through Central Austin. The payments are required under a federal law that compels transportation agencies to replace or improve public parkland when it's used for highway projects. Some of the parkland use is temporary, and TxDOT said it is paying the city based on the appraised value of the land."
"The document describes a 760-foot-long boardwalk that would match the design and materials of the existing boardwalk. The path would be 14-feet wide with LED strip lighting along both sides. Three custom shade structures, estimated to cost $250,000 each, would be installed, according to the preliminary estimate. The boardwalk could include nine benches, three trash cans and a dog waste station. The existing trail would be restored to natural vegetation."
A $25 million TxDOT payment will fund a new boardwalk on the south shore of Lady Bird Lake to replace a cramped segment of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail between South First Street and Congress Avenue. The payment compensates for parkland taken or used for the I-35 expansion, with some land uses temporary and about 1.3 acres permanently acquired at Waller Beach Park. A preliminary estimate envisions a 760-foot, 14-foot-wide boardwalk matching existing materials, with LED strip lighting, three shade structures, benches, trash cans, and trail restoration. Construction is estimated at $14.3 million; design costs and timing remain unclear.
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