James D. Pfluger Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge, Modern bridge for pedestrians and cyclists near Downtown Austin, United States

The James D. Pfluger Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge is a shared-use crossing over Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin, Texas, opened in 2001. Its deck forms a double curve, creating an hourglass shape with helical ramps and curved connector spans at each end, so the bridge has no straight lines. The structure uses weathering steel plate girders and a 12-inch reinforced concrete deck, supported by cast-in-place concrete piers standing in the lake.

The bridge was built in response to safety concerns about narrow sidewalks on the Lamar Boulevard Bridge and opened in 2001 to handle increasing foot traffic. This decision marked a turning point in Austin's efforts to make waterfront areas more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.

The bridge is named after architect James D. Pfluger, who shaped the trail system around Lady Bird Lake and left a lasting mark on Austin's outdoor spaces. It stands as a tribute to his influence on how the city developed its public green areas.

The bridge runs parallel to the Lamar Boulevard Bridge, about 200 feet (61 m) to the east of it, so drivers on Lamar cross the lake beside the walkway. The deck has no straight lines: two curved avenues intersect mid-lake, widening into a gathering and look-off space. A northwestern ramp completed in 2011 links the bridge over Cesar Chavez Street to the Lance Armstrong Bikeway and downtown.

The deck has no straight lines: two curved avenues cross and overlap over the lake, leaving a wider middle section used as a gathering place and look-off point. The 1998 design workshop produced fifteen concepts, including cable-stayed and arch bridges, before five participants developed the double-curve idea.