The city of Austin is facing a projected $20 million repair project for Shoal Creek after severe rains damaged both city land and private properties in May 2018.
The devastation of an approximately 300-foot portion of the bank collapsed into Shoal Creek causing a variety of issues including landslides and busted wastewater lines and leaving properties along Lamar vulnerable to a wave of problems. Originally set to be a $10 million project, the estimate has doubled due to additional erosion and unstable land.Engineering plans are set to be finished within a couple of months, and city officials would like for work to start in September. Once the bank has been repaired and structurally made safe the city will begin to examine repairing the hike and bike trail.
Due to the geographic landscape of the terrain, the area is susceptible to erosion during heavy rainstorms and will need to be stabilized instead of patched. Suggestions made in previous years of potentially using limestone blocks to create a retaining wall are being revisited by city staff officials.