People living downtown deal with daily detours due to road construction
SAN ANTONIO – One city’s idea of improvements is a daily headache for some of its citizens, specifically those living in downtown San Antonio.
Three major downtown road projects conducted by the City of San Antonio have created cone zones along stretches of some busy streets.
The Zona Cultural project, part of which involves Commerce Street, San Saba Street, and Santa Rosa, is aimed at enhancing streets, bridges, and sidewalks and is set to finish by winter 2025.
Another project, the Broadway Street Corridor, has seen sections of Broadway closed since the summer of 2020 for improvements like underground drainage, sidewalks, curbs, wheelchair ramps, and pedestrian lighting, with a scheduled completion date this summer.
Further south, a street improvement project on South Alamo Street aims to wrap up before winter 2025.
Downtown residents like Rick Aleman, Christopher Moore, and others are grappling with navigating detours and traffic delays daily, prompting adjustments like biking, public transportation, and using navigation apps to find alternative routes.
Businesses in the area, like San Antonio Bike Tours, are also feeling the impact, adapting daily to changing accessibility and informing guests of altered itineraries.
Despite the challenges, residents like Ignacio Perez and Gracie Guerra remain hopeful for easier navigation once the projects are completed, emphasizing the need for patience and resilience amid the construction.
The ongoing roadwork has prompted varied responses from downtown dwellers, from frustration to adaptability, showcasing a community persevering through disruptions for the promise of a better-connected urban landscape in the near future.
