From the east side of Travis Heights, the walk to Lady Bird Lake used to have several options. You could take Woodland Avenue under the highway, use the ramp down to the Boardwalk at Riverside Drive, or cross the lake on the path along the east side of the I-35 bridge. In late November 2026, all three are closed. The crossing and the ramp have different reopening dates, and the Woodland underpass is closed permanently.
The I-35 Capital Express Central project is rebuilding the Lady Bird Lake bridge and adding a single-point urban interchange at Riverside Drive. TxDOT's Lady Bird Lake segment page puts completion in 2033, weather permitting, with Balfour Beatty Construction as the contractor. That's a long time to wait for the old routes. For the next several years, Travis Heights' way to the water is on the west side of the highway.
Four closures, three timelines
The closures along the neighborhood's northeast corner arrived in stages, and they don't end together.
| What's closed | Since | Expected through |
|---|---|---|
| East-side I-35 pedestrian crossing over the lake | Week of Feb. 9, 2026 | About one year |
| Boardwalk ramp along the northbound frontage road at Riverside Drive | Feb. 16, 2026 | 2029 |
| Northern sidewalk on Riverside Drive near the bridge | In place now | 2029 |
| Woodland Avenue under I-35 | In place now | Permanent |
The crossing closure is the shortest, and it's still a big one. While it lasts, The Trail Conservancy says trail users can't cross between the north and south shores on the east side of I-35. The west-side I-35 sidewalk stays open. The Austin American-Statesman reported in February that pedestrians were being sent to the west sidewalk along the southbound frontage road to cross the bridge, after the northbound frontage-road sidewalk just north of Riverside closed.
Drivers lost a route too. Community Impact reported that with Woodland Avenue closed under I-35, drivers are directed to U-turn at Riverside or Oltorf. TxDOT's plans call for a pedestrian-only bridge at Woodland Avenue as part of the finished corridor.
Getting to the Boardwalk now
You can still reach the Boardwalk, just not from the ramp. The Trail Conservancy says the staircase and the Boardwalk stay open except during intermittent construction closures. The nearby entrances are at South Lakeshore Boulevard east of I-35 and the trail entrance west of I-35.
The Riverside Drive sidewalks shape the walk there. The northern sidewalk near the bridge is closed through 2029, so the route stays on the south side of Riverside. From there:
- Walk along the southern side of Riverside Drive, which stays open to pedestrians.
- Cross Riverside at the signal at Edgecliff Terrace, west of I-35, to reach the trail entrance on that side.
- If you're headed east toward South Lakeshore Boulevard, cross at the signal at Manlove Street, east of I-35.
TxDOT's Lady Bird Lake bridge trail fact sheet shows the same layout on the south shore: a closed ramp, an open staircase and lower Boardwalk outside intermittent closures, entrances east and west of I-35, and pedestrian shifts onto Edgecliff Terrace and Manlove Street.
From most of Travis Heights, the Edgecliff Terrace crossing is the one that works with the construction. Everything the project closed is on the east side of the highway, and this crossing is on the west.
The two December weeks
The next scheduled disruption is the biggest one this season. The Trail Conservancy says that beginning in early December, TxDOT crews will close the south-shore Boardwalk at I-35 for two weeks while they demolish and rebuild the northbound I-35 frontage road bridge. The work is weather permitting.
During those two weeks, the routes in the list above are the whole plan. The Trail Conservancy says you can still get to the lake from South Lakeshore Boulevard and from the trail entrance west of I-35. Pedestrians stay on the southern side of Riverside Drive and cross at the Manlove Street and Edgecliff Terrace signals, and signs will be posted for trail users.
A full closure like this is one of the few kinds of disruption the project limits. TxDOT caps continuous, full closures of the trails and waterway near the bridge at three weeks per year. Intermittent closures can still happen as construction requires, along with nightly closures under the work curfew. The exact December dates will be posted on The Trail Conservancy's detours page. TxDOT links to CTXGO for current I-35 closures.
Crossing the lake on foot
With the east-side crossing closed, The Trail Conservancy suggests two ways across the lake: South Congress, or the new Wishbone Pedestrian Bridge at Pleasant Valley. Those two crossings are on opposite sides of the neighborhood. South Congress is on Travis Heights' western edge, and the Wishbone bridge is well east of I-35.
KUT reported in February that the Wishbone bridge's opening closed a major gap in the trail and gave trail users a dedicated car-free crossing at the east end of the lake. It opened in the same month the east-side I-35 crossing closed. The Wishbone bridge works well for a long loop around the east end of the lake. For a quick out-and-back from Travis Heights, South Congress is the crossing that fits.
The north shore keeps changing on its own schedule
On the north shore, the route under I-35 follows a detour along the south side of East Avenue. The Trail Conservancy describes it as a 14-foot-wide path, surfaced with decomposed granite in some sections and with permanent concrete where existing infrastructure allows, such as under the north side of the bridge. It also says the detour is expected to stay in place for the rest of the project, through 2033.
Even that route moves. The City of Austin's parks and recreation closures page says the trail west of the I-35 bridges went back to the permanent Butler Trail for about two months starting Aug. 20. It then switches back and forth between the permanent path and the detour from November 2026 through January 2027, and trail users are asked to follow directions from workers on site. TxDOT lists East Avenue under the bridge as closed to traffic through late 2026. The boat ramp on the north shore near the Holiday Inn, west of I-35, is limited to emergency vehicles through 2033.
On the water, the passage is 75 feet wide
If you paddle or row from this part of the lake, the bridge work affects you too. TxDOT says boats can pass under the I-35 bridge only through a 75-foot-wide passage, away from the work zones, through 2033.
KUT reported in May that Austin Rowing Club's managing director found the buoy-marked route hard to pick out at water level and asked for lights, more signs, or a buoy line. TxDOT told KUT the arrangement was safe and that it wasn't seeking a change at the time. The same story reported that a barge had damaged the club's race course before its February regatta, and that the club was reconsidering a fall race because its usual course passes under I-35.
What the finished corridor adds
The long closures are building toward new connections. TxDOT's plans include bike and pedestrian paths along the corridor and a pedestrian-only bridge at Woodland Avenue. The trail fact sheet describes two standalone pedestrian bridges up to 24 feet wide, with shade structures and scenic lookouts. Its phasing runs from work starting in 2026 to a final 2029 to 2033 phase.
When it's finished, Woodland Avenue would connect the neighborhood again, this time for people on foot only. Until then, the Riverside Drive signals, the trail entrance west of I-35, and the South Congress crossing are how Travis Heights gets to the lake.
If you're thinking about how this corridor fits into your plans for a home near the lake, I'd love to talk it through with you. Amy Sparks offers neighborhood insight you can trust and a calm, clear conversation about your next step. Book a Personalized Consultation whenever you're ready.
