Waller Creek
The Waller Creek Tunnel Project is the very first step in transforming a part of Downtown Austin. The project is a storm water bypass tunnel that will capture and redirect flood waters south of 12th street and safely carry them to Lady Bird Lake. The project will begin in Waterloo Park where an inlet structure will take in flood waters and screen out trash and debris. Additional inlets between 4th and 5th Streets and between 8th and 9th Streets will capture additional flood waters. The tunnel will help prevent severe flooding and stream bank erosion by controlling the volume of water in the creek. It will empty the diverted waters into a lagoon on the shores on the Lady Bird Lake.
Currently, much of the Waller Creek District lies within a 100-year flood plain. Over the years, the area has been subject to severe flooding and erosion and has never reached its full potential as a vibrant, economically viable part of Downtown. Once the tunnel project is complete and the threat of flooding is reduced, future plans call for restoring the ecology of the creek, improving parks and other open spaces, and enhancing pedestrian and bicycle connections between Lady Bird Lake, the University of Texas, and East Austin.
In April 2011, the City of Austin and the Waller Creek Conservancy, a non-profit organization formed by local citizens, struck a public-private partnership to create and implement a design for land that encompasses and surrounds Waller Creek. In November 2011, the Conservancy will launch an international design competition. Once a winning design is selected, the group will coordinate with the city to enact policies that support the new design plan. Please direct all questions related to Design Waller Creek: A Competition to the Waller Creek Conservancy Design Competition Manager.
