When will Austin upgrade sidewalks along North Lamar Boulevard?

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Many Muslims in Austin are bidding farewell to the holy month of Ramadan and celebrating the festival of Eid al-Fitr at the North Austin Muslim Community Center Tuesday evening — but work awaits to improve sidewalk conditions near the mosque.

The City of Austin’s Transportation and Public Works Department confirmed Wednesday no road closures or traffic signal changes are planned in the area surrounding the mosque ahead of Wednesday night’s celebrations. However, a TPWD spokesperson noted plans are in place to fill in existing sidewalks along that North Lamar Boulevard corridor.

That fill-in work will run along North Lamar between Braker Lane and Parmer Lane, with planned improvements including eight-foot-wide shared-use paths wherever possible, or five-foot-wide sidewalks in more limited segments. That construction is poised to begin in the next few months, the spokesperson added.

Previously, department crews had constructed an eight-foot-wide shared-use path on the eastern side of North Lamar Boulevard between Caddo Street and the On the Green Apartments, located north of Oak Brook Drive.

When looking at the wider North Lamar pedestrian network, city officials are considering the possibility of a pedestrian bridge crossing over Walnut Creek. Under that tentative idea, the bridge would link up with shared-use paths and sidewalks along North Lamar Boulevard on both sides of Walnut Creek.

Along with the possible pedestrian bridge, work is planned to add more pedestrian hybrid beacons at Little Oak Drive and at the On the Green Apartments. However, that awaits approval from the Texas Department of Transportation, due to TxDOT’s ownership of North Lamar Boulevard.

The schedule and timeline for both the pedestrian bridge and extra crossings are undetermined at this time.

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