Lamar Boulevard Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Lamar Boulevard Bridge is a historic bridge carrying Lamar Boulevard (Loop 343
) over Lady Bird Lake in downtown
Austin, Texas
, United States
. The bridge features six open spandrel
concrete arches and carries thousands of vehicles daily across the river. Completed in 1942, the Lamar Boulevard Bridge was the second permanent bridge to cross the Colorado River
after the Congress Avenue Bridge
. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on July 7, 1994.
The Lamar Boulevard bridge that crosses Lady Bird Lake exceeds acceptable daily traffic volumes by more than double, according to a study by the Downtown Austin Alliance. The bridge allows for about 20,000 cars per day, but currently nearly 45,000 vehicles use the bridge everyday.
In the late 20th century, the bridge was notorious for road accidents involving bicycles and pedestrians. The problem was remedied in 2001, when the James D. Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge opened 200 feet (61 m) to the east of the Lamar bridge.
Texas State Highway Loop 343
Loop 343 is a state-maintained roadway located in Austin, Texas.- History :Loop 343 was formed in 1961 along the previous routes of SH 71 and US 290 as those roads were realigned. It passed through downtown Austin along 6th and 7th Streets to Lamar Boulevard.It was rerouted in 1977 to use 1st...
) over Lady Bird Lake in downtown
Downtown Austin
Downtown Austin is the central business district of Austin, Texas. Downtown is located on the north bank of the Colorado River. The approximate borders of Downtown include Lamar Boulevard to the west, 11th Street and sometimes Martin Luther King, Jr...
Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The bridge features six open spandrel
Spandrel
A spandrel, less often spandril or splaundrel, is the space between two arches or between an arch and a rectangular enclosure....
concrete arches and carries thousands of vehicles daily across the river. Completed in 1942, the Lamar Boulevard Bridge was the second permanent bridge to cross the Colorado River
Colorado River (Texas)
The Colorado River is a river that runs through the U.S. state of Texas; it should not be confused with the much longer Colorado River which flows from Colorado into the Gulf of California....
after the Congress Avenue Bridge
Congress Avenue
Congress Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Austin, Texas. The street is a six-lane, tree lined avenue that cuts through the middle of the city from far south Austin and goes over Lady Bird Lake leading to the Texas State Capitol in the heart of downtown....
. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on July 7, 1994.
The Lamar Boulevard bridge that crosses Lady Bird Lake exceeds acceptable daily traffic volumes by more than double, according to a study by the Downtown Austin Alliance. The bridge allows for about 20,000 cars per day, but currently nearly 45,000 vehicles use the bridge everyday.
In the late 20th century, the bridge was notorious for road accidents involving bicycles and pedestrians. The problem was remedied in 2001, when the James D. Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge opened 200 feet (61 m) to the east of the Lamar bridge.