Lamar Boulevard Bridge, Art Deco road bridge in downtown Austin, Texas, United States
Lamar Boulevard Bridge is a road bridge in Art Deco style that crosses Lady Bird Lake, linking the north and south sides of Austin, Texas. It rests on six open concrete arches that give the structure its recognizable shape.
The bridge was completed in 1942, making it the second permanent crossing of the Colorado River at this point. It was built during World War II, which shaped the materials and methods used in its construction.
The bridge's Art Deco detailing survives in the vertical fluting on its piers and pedestrian guardrails, marks of its 1942 construction. The James D. Pfluger Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge, opened 200 feet to the east in 2001, now carries cyclists and walkers alongside it.
The deck has four roadway lanes with narrow sidewalks separated from traffic only by low curbs, and no dedicated bicycle lanes. Because of accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians in the 1990s, the city built the James D. Pfluger Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge in 2001, about 200 feet (61 m) to the east. Walkers and cyclists should cross there instead.
Since 1983, specific views of the Texas State Capitol seen from the bridge have been protected by law, preventing any construction from blocking them. This makes the bridge one of a handful of places in the city where the sightline to the capitol is permanently kept open.
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