al ▁Creek , ▁reaching ▁the ▁river ' s ▁edge ▁near ▁the ▁cre ek ' s ▁mouth . ▁On ▁the ▁south ▁bank , ▁the ▁bou lev ard ▁would ▁continue ▁on ward ▁to ▁join ▁what ▁was ▁then ▁Texas ▁State ▁Highway ▁ 2 0 , ▁leading ▁to ▁Freder icks burg , ▁Texas . ▁As ▁the ▁city ▁began ▁building ▁the ▁bou lev ard , ▁the ▁Texas ▁Highway ▁Department ▁( now ▁the ▁Texas ▁Department ▁of ▁Transport ation ) ▁was ▁charged ▁with ▁design ing ▁and ▁building ▁a ▁bridge ▁to ▁carry ▁Highway ▁ 2 0 ▁across ▁the ▁river . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁began ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁and ▁the ▁bridge ▁was ▁completed ▁and ▁opened ▁to ▁traffic ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁at ▁a ▁total ▁cost ▁of ▁$ 3 0 3 , 9 0 0 ▁( ). ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁the ▁bridge ▁was ▁left ▁without ▁street ▁lights , ▁perhaps ▁because ▁of ▁material ▁short ages ▁rel ating ▁to ▁World ▁War ▁II ; ▁these ▁were ▁later ▁added ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 . ▁The ▁construction ▁of ▁Long horn ▁Dam ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁transformed ▁the ▁river ▁beneath ▁the ▁bridge ▁into ▁Town ▁Lake ▁( now ▁known ▁as ▁Lady ▁Bird ▁Lake ), ▁raising ▁the ▁water ▁level ▁to ▁just ▁below ▁the ▁bottom s ▁of ▁the ▁arch es . ▁The ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁Texas ▁State ▁Capit ol ▁from ▁the ▁bridge ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Capit ol ▁View ▁Cor rid ors ▁protected ▁under ▁state ▁and ▁local ▁law ▁from ▁obst