Shoal Creek Trail Extension along Neils Thompson Drive and Longhorn Boulevard
The City of Austin is working to improve safety, connectivity and access for everyone on Neils Thompson Drive and Longhorn Boulevard in North Austin as part of the Shoal Creek Trail extension project. These streets are part of the citywide urban trail and bikeway system and also serve access to a large industrial park frequented by large trucks along with regular employee and customer trips. This webpage explains changes to the trail design to best balance these operations with connectivity. Here you’ll find links to detailed design drawings.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Urban Trails expand outdoor recreational options and make it easier for people of all abilities to get outside, exercise, and connect with nature and their community. With limited resources, Tier 1 Urban Trails are of particular focus and the Shoal Creek Trail, as one of Austin’s major north-south oriented tier 1 trails, is a primary focus for delivering this quality of life to Austinites.
Currently the Shoal Creek Trail ends at the terminus of Neils Thompson Drive. Extending the trail along Neils Thompson Drive and Longhorn Boulevard provides helpful connectivity for the urban trails network, linking from Shoal Creek Trail to points throughout North Central Austin. This project helps to connect the creating a 30-mile connection connecting the Butler Trail, Red Line Trail, Southern and Northern Walnut Creek Trails and the Shoal Creek Trail.
The Big Loop concept connects major trails systems to form a 30-mile loop.
COMMUNITY FEEDBACK
Initial feedback was gathered in September 2024 to inform changes to Rutland Drive, Neils Thompson Drive and Longhorn Boulevard. A report of all feedback received was published in October of 2024.
Changes on Rutland Drive were installed in December 2024 and January 2025, and are now complete. For more information on this portion of the project visit www.austintexas.gov/rutland.
Community members gather on Neils Thompson Drive to share feedback on the project.
Following the start of construction of the trail portion of the project along Neils Thompson Drive, additional feedback was received by area businesses. The City then held an on-site meeting on August 6th, 2025 to hear more and discuss possible modifications of the trail design to better balance the operational needs of the industrial park with trail connectivity and comfort.
City of Austin staff listen to feedback from area stakeholders at an on-site meeting held August 6th, 2025.
PLANNED CHANGES
As a result of additional feedback gathered from area stakeholders, the City will be modifying the trail design to provide for trail comfort while accommodating frequent large truck movements to, from and within the industrial park. The updated trail profile will create wider travel lanes, larger driveway entrances and on-street parking pockets. The new trail will take the form of a shared use path with concrete barrier.
Click here for a detailed drawing of the trail along Neils Thompson Drive and Longhorn Bouelvard.
The upcoming work to install a shared use pathway along Burnet Road will connect this trail extension to the existing protected bikeways and sidewalks along Rutland Drive to offer access to and from North Austin neighborhoods, Q2 stadium, and many other retail, research and commercial areas.
A protected intersection at Longhorn Boulevard and Burnet Road.
A protected intersection at Rutland Drive and Burnet Road
NEXT STEPS
Crews are currently working on new drainage infrastructure along the eastern side of Neils Thompson Drive. Construction on the trail will resume following this work and expected to be completed by Spring 2026. The City will continue to work with each business on the driveway configuration and access management during construction. Burnet Road corridor work is expected to begin late 2025 and end in early 2027.
CONTACT
For questions about the project, please email Nathan Garza at Nathan.Garza@austintexas.gov or call (512) 978-2055.