June 16, 2001
A bridge for pedestrians and cyclists in Austin, Texas, was officially opened. This 812-foot (247-meter)-long bridge, which crosses Lady Bird Lake (a reservoir on the Colorado River), serves as a link between the north and south sides of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail.
The bridge was named after James D. Pfluger (1937-2000), a local architect who designed several key parts of the hike and bike trail system in the Lone Star State’s capital city. Pfluger’s legacy was highlighted during the inaugural ceremony for the structure bearing his name.
“He would see a need in the community and he would try to fill it,” asserted Joyce Pfluger, his widow. “He had a great mind that could negotiate any problem.” Jackie Goodman, Austin’s mayor pro tem, also talked about the quality-of-life contributions that Pfluger had made to the city. She said, “We’re very proud to honor the name of Pfluger in this bridge because all that is around it is because of him.”
Photo Credit: Bryan Rutherford (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)
For more information on the James D. Pfluger Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_D._Pfluger_Pedestrian_and_Bicycle_Bridge
Transportation History 