The Shoal Creek Trail is closed from Shoal Creek Boulevard to roughly 24th Street due to massive slope failure and resulting trail damage. Please use Lamar Boulevard sidewalk as a detour. The area is not safe for use by pedestrians or cyclists.
The damage is located just south of the area known as Gaston Green, Pease Park's off-leash dog park (2609 Shoal Creek Boulevard) and extends roughly 300 feet to the south along the west side of Shoal Creek. The trail in this area is no longer passable.
What is the City of Austin doing now?
Testing the stability of the cliffs in this area
Designing solutions to keep drainage off the landslide
Developing plans to remove debris and clear up Shoal Creek
Re-routing damaged wastewater lines.
Once they have more information from the testing, they will develop both short-term and long-term plans to address the hike and bike trail and the safety of the properties at the top of the cliff.
Shoal Creek Restoration Project
The recently completed Shoal Creek Restoration project was not damaged except for the new pavement applied to the trail. We have had questions about the large boulders in the area of the landslide. These boulders were stabilizing the trail. They were part of a 1998 project to address a smaller erosion concern on the trail.
The majority of the Shoal Creek Restoration project is south of 24th Street and does not contain the same type of tall cliffs that failed between 24th and 26th Street. The rock boulders, both those south of 24th Street and near the landslide, were installed to prevent floodwaters from washing away the streambank. They were not intended to prevent the unpredictable landslide that occurred last week.
The Watershed Department will be making repairs once they know the stability of the cliff. They need to be able to ensure the safety of their staff and the nearby properties during the repairs.
Please expect the trail to be closed for an extended period of time. We appreciate your cooperation!
For more details and additional images, see the May 7, 2018 Memorandum regarding the slope failure from the City of Austin Departments of Watershed Protection and Parks & Recreation to Mayor and City Council.