The city remains concerned about people ignoring, moving, climbing over and in other ways avoiding the barriers put up on the South 1st bridge over Town Lake. This is especially true at the North End, where the work is being done on Caezar Chavez and a new ramp from the bridge down to the trail is being built. The April 4th project managers report spells this out, and it’s mentioned in others. The reports are here.

The city hopes that the problem will ease with the opening of the trail again between Shoal Creek and Congress on the north side. However, my bet is the problem will continue. The problem is many people like the shorts loops between South 1st and Lamar footbridge, it’s a social distance for a walk, and it’s a good fast-run distance for beginners and there’s no access to the trail from the north east side. Either way what that means is there is no way to do loops without crossing the street, unless you step-it-up and go Lamar to Mopac.

While the works continue, I’ve seen some folks doing incredibly stupid things. Thursday last week I saw a guy running in the traffic lane on the west side of the bridge around 6.45pm, that was mad enough, but he was wearing a headset – No idea if cars were coming right behind him, and angering drivers who had to pull out. Then there are the bemused ones, having found themselves on the road at the north west corner of the bridge, then can’t work out what to do next. Like a Dear caught in headlights they make a last minute decision and run for it.

I spoke to the city project major Rick Colbrunn, he says it will be another 4-6 weeks before the new ramp with access to the trail is ready. Be careful out there…

[Update 12th June] Given the work was supposed to be finished at the end of May, then June 10th, I spoke to Rick today and asked “hows it going?” – Rick said they are having problems “sourcing material” for the retaining walls, and the project probably won’t be complete until the end of July 2008.