In partnership with the Hill Country Conservancy (HCC), Austin Public Work’s Urban Trails Program will begin construction on the Violet Crown Trail North project on Monday, February 14. The new one-mile section of the Violet Crown Trail will extend from Home Depot Boulevard to MoPac, just north of William Cannon Drive. The trail will be 10-feet wide, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant, and composed of both concrete and stabilized granite. Construction is expected to take 12 months. Funding for the project comes from the Austin Mobility Bonds, as well as a Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) grant.

The trail will connect homes and businesses near Brodie Lane and West William Cannon Drive through the Williamson Creek Greenbelt and Indian Grass Prairie Preserve. Construction of a boardwalk alongside Williamson Creek will create a safer and more accessible crossing beneath MoPac. The boardwalk will allow for drainage and plant growth in this riparian area. The project also includes a new shared use path on the northbound Mopac Service Road between Ben Garza Lane and Sabino Lane. Along the southbound Mopac Frontage Road, the Corridor Program Office will construct a new shared use path to connect West William Cannon Drive to the Violet Crown Trail North. Construction of this path and additional pedestrian improvements on the William Cannon Corridor is expected to occur in 2024.

“The magic of the Violet Crown Trail is that within minutes you can go from a bustling urban area into an area that feels remote and undeveloped,” remarked Assistant City Manager Gina Fiandaca, who oversees the City’s Mobility Outcome. “Research shows there are many positive health impacts from time spent in natural settings. When this new urban trail section is complete, people of all ages and abilities will have access to this beautiful natural area.”

When the entire trail network is complete, the Violet Crown will be a 30-mile nature trail that connects Zilker Park to Hays County. Through coordination between Austin Public Works, Austin Parks and Recreation, and HCC, many portions of the Violet Crown Trail are completed and open to the public. The trail’s width, grade, and surface type varies by location, but segments built by the Urban Trail Program are wide, smooth-surfaced, and suitable for all ages and abilities.

To plan a visit to the Violet Crown Trail, visit VioletCrownTrail.com. Learn more about the Austin Urban Trails Program’s projects on the Violet Crown at AustinTexas.gov/VioletCrownTrail.

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