Unstable peninsulas can be so annoying!

This obviously bothers the City of Austin too, so they have initiated the Shoal Creek Peninsula Stabilization Project. Shoal Creek runs through the west side of downtown Austin and empties into Lady Bird Lake near the Seaholm Power Plant. With major storms, water rushes down the normally-empty creek and right across a small patch of land that carries the Butler Hike and Bike Trail along the lake shore. The banks on both sides are eroding and sometimes that section of the trail is a muddy, wet mess, so I’m glad that the city is fixing this problem.

Workers have been busy digging and moving things on the peninsula for two months. Large square stones are now being set in place to reinforce the bank. I expect that the trail will be rebuilt a few feet higher to provide better drainage.

Since this part of the trail is temporarily closed during construction, hikers and bikers are now rerouted to a narrow path along Cesar Chavez. This path is too close to the street for my liking. Except for rush hours, cars are zooming by at 40+ mph. I make sure to face the oncoming traffic so I can jump off the path and roll down the hill if needed.

I don’t know the official project status, but the work seems to be moving right along. Hopefully the project will be completed on schedule in May so I can stop worrying about flash flooding, bank erosion, and broken bones from my drop-and-roll strategy.