x
Breaking News
More () »

New extension of Violet Crown Trail now open to the public

The new urban trail extension connects to the Garza Ranch development on Ben Garza Lane in southwest Austin.

SUNSET VALLEY, Texas — Over the weekend, the City of Austin and the Hill Country Conservancy celebrated the opening of a new section of the Violet Crown Trail system.

The Violet Crown Trail - North project is a one-mile extension of the trail system and connects Home Depot Boulevard to the MoPac Expressway, just north of William Cannon Drive. According to the Hill Country Conservancy, the trail is generally 10 to 11-feet wide and ADA-accessible. 

With the completion of this segment, the Violet Crown Trail now stretches from Zilker Park all the way down to Slaughter Creek.

The trail connects homes and businesses in the Brodie Lane and William Cannon areas through the Williamson Creek Greenbelt and the Indian Prairie Preserve. Eventually, the City of Austin's Corridor Program intends to connect the trail to William Cannon, as part of planned safety and mobility improvements on that road from US 290 to Brodie Lane.

“This section of the Trail furthers the Violet Crown Trail vision to provide an alternate means of transportation for the community and the opportunity to connect with nature amidst a busy urban area," said Kathy Miller, CEO of the Hill Country Conservancy. "Hill Country Conservancy looks forward to programming and maintaining this beautiful piece of the Trail for many years to come."

The Violet Crown Trail-North project was funded by the 2016 Mobility Bond and a Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization grant. 

The new trail segment includes an accessible crossing beneath MoPac via a boardwalk adjacent to Williamson Creek, connections to nearby sidewalks and existing sections of the Violet Crown Trail and a new shared-use path on northbound MoPac Service Road, between Ben Garza Lane and Sabino Lane.

Boomtown is KVUE's series covering the explosive growth in Central Texas. For more Boomtown stories, head to KVUE.com/Boomtown.

KVUE on social media:Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Before You Leave, Check This Out