AUSTIN, Texas — Upgrades are on the way to one of Austin’s many trails.
Austin City Council members recently filed paperwork to advance the Loop 360 Overlook Trail, just west of the North Capital of Texas Highway and by the Pennybacker Bridge.
New improvements would include public parking, a sidewalk and an extension to the current trail.
The agenda from a Dec. 12 council meeting shows plans to acquire roughly 1.1 acres of property and about .36 acres of trail, sidewalk and “recreational easement.” The land -located at 5379 West Courtyard Drive- is appraised at just over $167,000.
Alison Alter, a former Austin councilmember, supported the upgrades during the session.
“The Pennybacker Bridge serves as an iconic symbol of Central Texas. The scene overlooks at the bridge are very popular, Alter said. “But parking and access to this area presents some safety concerns.”
Alter noted renovations around Loop 360, which includes the planned removal of traffic signals from U.S. 183 north to State Highway 71/U.S. 290 south.
Such changes are part of a larger project organized by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), with additional updates coming to Spicewood Springs Road, Westlake Drive and RM 2222 in the future.