Congress Avenue Bridge /Austin Bats, Austin (must see)

The Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, previously known as the Congress Avenue Bridge, is situated over Lady Bird Lake in Austin. Prior to the completion of the Longhorn Dam in 1960, this bridge spanned the Colorado River, which is now impounded as Lady Bird Lake. It had been named the Congress Avenue Bridge since its initial construction in the late 19th century until November 16, 2006, when the Austin City Council decided to rename it in honor of Ann W. Richards. She served as the 45th Governor of Texas and was a long-time resident of Austin.

This bridge is made of concrete and features three southbound and three northbound vehicle lanes, with sidewalks on both sides. The Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge is renowned for housing the world's largest urban bat colony, consisting of Mexican free-tailed bats. These bats live beneath the road deck in gaps between the concrete components. They are migratory, spending their summers in Austin and their winters in Mexico.

Every evening at dusk, the bats emerge from beneath the bridge and fly across Lady Bird Lake, primarily to the east, in search of food. This spectacle attracts up to 100,000 tourists annually. Visitors can observe the bats from the bridge itself, from the riverbanks, and even from boats. Interestingly, the Austin Ice Bats, a minor-league hockey team, took its name from the bridge's famous bat colony. Additionally, the song "Bats" by Kimya Dawson and rapper Aesop Rock was inspired by the immense number of bats residing under this bridge.