Wishbone Bridge and Unity Underpass open Feb. 7, completing a traffic-free loop around Lady Bird Lake
A long-standing gap in Austin’s signature waterfront trail is set to close
A new pedestrian-and-bicycle connection over Lady Bird Lake will open Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, when the Wishbone Bridge and the Unity Underpass begin serving trail users on the east side of the lake. The additions are designed to remove a long-running pinch point where walkers and cyclists have had to leave the trail network and travel alongside motor traffic near the Longhorn Dam and South Pleasant Valley Road.
With the opening, the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail is expected to operate as an uninterrupted loop around the lake, connecting the Longhorn Shores area, Canterbury Street and the Holly Peninsula within Town Lake Metropolitan Park. The new bridge’s “wishbone” layout creates multiple approaches that feed into the surrounding trail system.
What the project builds, and why it matters for safety
The new bridge is intended to provide an alternative to the narrow sidewalk route along the Longhorn Dam corridor, a segment that has long concentrated mixed foot and bicycle traffic close to vehicles. By shifting trail traffic away from the roadway and into a dedicated crossing and underpass, the project targets two recurring concerns: conflicts between fast-moving cyclists and pedestrians, and exposure to adjacent automobile traffic.
The project also includes the Unity Underpass near South Pleasant Valley Road, creating a grade-separated passage that reduces the need for trail users to navigate street-level crossings at a high-traffic location.
Timeline, funding, and public process
Construction began in early July 2024 and proceeded alongside detours affecting the Butler Trail in the project area. City materials describe the bridge alignment and configuration as the outcome of a community engagement process that selected the wishbone-shaped concept for the crossing.
Funding for the project is tied to Austin’s 2020 Mobility Bond, with additional financing referenced through federal grant support and prior bond programs that contributed to the broader package of trail and mobility improvements.
Grand opening details and what trail users can expect
The city-scheduled grand opening celebration is planned for Saturday, Feb. 7, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with remarks at 10 a.m. and a community gathering beginning at 11 a.m. The listed event location is 115 S Pleasant Valley Road, Austin, TX 78741, along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail.
After the opening, trail users should see new, continuous routing options on the east side of Lady Bird Lake, with bridge and underpass connections intended to improve wayfinding and reduce reliance on roadside segments.
Opening date: Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026
Event hours: 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Location: Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, 115 S Pleasant Valley Road
The Wishbone Bridge and Unity Underpass are designed as a combined trail connection, improving safety and closing a remaining gap in the east-lake loop.