Join Waterloo Greenway Conservancy and the City of Austin for the landmark grand opening of Phase II: The Confluence. This transformative addition to Austin’s urban landscape represents years of collaboration, community input, innovative design, and environmental restoration.
The celebration will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10am at Grandpa’s Lakeview Terrace (near 74 Trinity St), followed by self-guided exploration of the park, family-friendly activities, food & drinks, live music, art, and more. Admission is free and open to the public!
Affordable event parking will be available for $5 at the Austin Convention Center 5th St. Garage at 601 E. 5th St. Ridesharing and use of public transit are also encouraged.
The Waterloo Greenway Phase II Grand Opening is supported by Fairmont Austin, 1 Hotel Austin, Austin Subaru, Bosque Residences, The Modern by Urbanspace, Austin Convention Center, Clean Scapes, Delta Air Lines, Heyday! LIVE, and Lincoln Property Group.
THINGS TO EXPERIENCE
10am · Ribbon Cutting
Join us for this exciting moment near 74 Trinity Street at Grandpa’s Lakeview Terrace!
Speakers
Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette, CEO, Waterloo Greenway Conservancy
Stephanie Hayden-Howard, Assistant City Manager
Jesús Aguirre, Austin Parks & Recreation Director
Jorge L. Morales, Austin Watershed Protection Director
Phase II: The Confluence is located along Waller Creek between 4th St and Lady Bird Lake. There are many ways to enter and explore this new stretch of Waterloo Greenway. The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at Grandpa’s Lakeview Terrace near 74 Trinity St.
Entrances
4th & Sabine
3rd & I-35
2nd & Sabine
Cesar Chavez near Trinity
Red River & Davis
74 Trinity St at the Hike-and-Bike Trail
Hike-and-Bike Trail South
Parking is limited in the area, so we encourage you to consider one of these options:
Parking: Austin Convention Center garage at 4th and Red River St. for $5 affordable parking
Capital Metro: 150 complimentary CapMetro passes are available – please fill out the form, and we will email the code where you can request your free pass! Sign up now to receive the code!
Rideshare: Ridesharing is encouraged as a convenient alternative to driving
Phase II The Confluence Opening Saturday, June 6, 2026 4th St. to Lady Bird Lake
Waterloo Greenway is a 1.5-mile park system with the power to bring the entire Austin community together. Once complete, the project will include 35 acres of connected green space made possible through a significant public-private partnership with the City of Austin. The opening of Waterloo Park and Moody Amphitheater in August 2021 marked the first phase of Waterloo Greenway. Construction on Phase II: The Confluence began May 2023 and will open to the public in mid-2026, representing the next step toward completing the park system.
Significant environmental restoration at The Confluence will recreate a thriving ecosystem, with a resilient landscape to clean and manage stormwater runoff, in partnership with the Watershed Protection and Parks and Recreation Departments. Eroded, fallen creek banks showing the effects of historic flood events will be reconstructed – building upon the Waller Creek Flood Control Tunnel’s capacity for flood mitigation.
A lush new landscape of nearly 1,550 trees, 200,000 mature plants, and 10 acres of seed mixes will improve downtown air quality, improve ecosystem functions, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce the urban heat island effect. Park-goers will experience a one-of-a-kind immersive experience within 13-acres, including the deepest and most ecologically diverse section of Waller Creek.
Some highlights of The Confluence include:
Reconstruction and stabilization of the creek banks and improved water quality from 4th St. to Lady Bird Lake.
Robust native Central Texas creek landscapes featuring over 200,000 new plants and 1,600 new trees providing shade, habitat, and improved access to nature in the heart of Downtown Austin.
Three lattice bridges providing new east-west pedestrian connections over Waller Creek.
An 800-foot-long boardwalk embedded in Waller Creek, bypassing intersections at Red River St. and Cesar Chavez St.
A continuous, off-street bike and pedestrian trail connecting the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, Palm Park, Rainey St., and the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail.
New public gathering spaces including a Lagoon Overlook and Leaf Deck adjacent to Lady Bird Lake.
The shaded, family-friendly Lakeview Terrace and Explorers Garden.
A new connection to Waller Creek and the Waterloo Greenway Trail at 4th St. with the Cypress Grove and Trailhead Plaza.
Located at the southernmost point of Waterloo Greenway, The Confluence sits at the cultural epicenter of Palm Park, Rainey Street Historic District, Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, Convention Center, and Ann and Roy Butler Hike & Bike Trail.
Lead support to-date for Phase II of Waterloo Greenway construction is provided by Buena Vista Foundation, Carmel and Tom Borders, Colin Corgan, Fondren Foundation, The Hartman Family, Love, Tito’s, Sugar Creek Foundation, Tejemos Foundation, and Waller Creek Owner LLC.
Support for the construction of the Biofiltration Pond was made possible with monumental support by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This was the first infusion of federal funding for the Waterloo Greenway project. Due to Public Law 117-58, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2022, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dedicated $11 million to the restoration of Waller Creek, the first environmental infrastructure project to be approved in Texas under Section 5138 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007.
Construction Status
Completed Work:
June 6, 2026: The Confluence, the second phase of the Waterloo Greenway project, will open to the public. This transformative addition to Austin’s urban landscape represents years of collaboration, community input, innovative design, and environmental restoration. Learn more here.
March 2026: Construction activity continues including:
Fabrication of drinking fountains & bottle fillers, bike racks, and trash & recycling stations, with installation in select areas
Installation of portions of the trail guardrails
Ongoing plant installation along the banks of Waller Creek
Significant advancement of ADA accessible trail connections to the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, and adjacent developments on east side of Waller Creek
October 2025: The Biofiltration Pond, a transformative green infrastructure feature and critical component of the Confluence, was completed. The pond is now fully operational, improving water quality, removing trash and debris, and creating a more resilient ecosystem along Waller Creek and the broader downtown Austin area, treating 26.2 acres of urban stormwater. The feature is the only one of its kind in the downtown area.
September 2025: Major construction activity continues including installing lighting throughout the project, planting large trees extensively, building the creek bed south of 3rd St., installing permeable pavement, and completing the Leaf Deck and Outdoor Classroom.
January 2025: The Hartman Bridge, located over Waller Creek, officially opened to the public on the morning of January 27, 2025, with a celebratory event. The bridge opening marked a significant milestone in the development of Waterloo Greenway Phase II: The Confluence, as well as the urban landscape of downtown Austin.
The new pedestrian bridge replaced the previous one along the frequently-used Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail. Wider with a new alignment, the new bridge facilitates smoother traffic movement and immerses people in the natural environment of Waller Creek, integrating nature with the city’s bustling atmosphere.
August 2024: Construction work continues on the installation of major new park and trail amenities south of Cesar Chavez St. To construct the lattice bridges, Lagoon Overlook, and Leaf Deck. A series of detours took place on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail July through October. Meanwhile, work continues to progress on other features including:
A biofiltration pond to improve water quality in Waller Creek,
A creek-level trail between 3rd and 4th Streets,
An elevated walkway connecting Palm Park to Rainey St. and the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail, and
The new Cypress Grove Bridge over Waller Creek at 4th St.
Questions?
Main Point of Contact: Ana Seivert, Capital Delivery Project Manager, Capital Delivery Services Department, 512-974-3566, Email Ana Seivert
AUSTIN, TX — May 6, 2026 — Waterloo Greenway Conservancy and the City of Austin today announced the grand opening of Waterloo Greenway, Phase II: The Confluence, on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Spanning 13 acres along Waller Creek between 4th Street and Lady Bird Lake, The Confluence represents a…
Waterloo Greenway, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the City of Austin, and U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett Celebrate Significant Milestone for the WG Project with Completion of Biofiltration Pond in Phase II: The Confluence On October 24, 2025, Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the City…
Weaving natural spaces into downtown Austin’s growing urban landscape, the new greenspaces of Phase II (13 acres!) will help foster community, connection, and sustainability beside the most ecologically diverse section of Waller Creek, located between 4th St. and Lady Bird Lake. As construction continues on Phase II, we are seeing significant…
Waterloo Greenway’s Beloved Light-Based Art Event Reimagined to Celebrate the Opening of Phase II: The Confluence, Highlighting the Newest Chapter of the Park Project. After a decade of lighting up upper Waller Creek, Creek Show is on the move, heading downstream to its most exciting home yet – Waterloo Greenway…
Waterloo Greenway Marks a Milestone with the Opening of the Hartman Bridge on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail Austin, TX — January 27, 2025 – After several months of detours along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail for Waterloo Greenway Phase II: The Confluence, a newly…
Detours are needed to construct new pedestrian bridges over Waller Creek and the Lagoon Overlook and Leaf Deck A new detour route on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail at Waller Creek will be put into place on Monday, September 30, and is scheduled to remain…
Series of detours start soon along Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail at Waller Creek The detours are to construct new pedestrian bridges over Waller Creek and the Lagoon Overlook and Leaf Deck. Over the next several months, users of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and…
On Friday, May 24, Waterloo Greenway welcomed a new 142-foot truss bridge over Waller Creek as part of phase two of the park project, The Confluence. The lightweight lattice bridge is the first of three to be installed south of Cesar Chavez St. that will provide new east-west access…
In 2023, we welcomed more than 270,000 park visitors, hosted 30 concerts at Moody Amphitheater, offered more than 140 free community programs, and worked hand-in-hand with more volunteers than ever before. To top it off, we broke ground on Phase II: The Confluence and launched the design development for Phase…
While you’re downtown for our Phase II Grand Opening on June 6, be sure to visit our neighbors at Rainey Street Historic District and support Waterloo Greenway with your purchases! Check out this delicious list of food and beverage options that will result in support for beautiful, vibrant green spaces and community programming at Waterloo Greenway.
Come experience the neighborhood, support local businesses, and be part of this exciting new chapter for downtown Austin. Make a day of it, and make an impact!
