South Alamo Street Bridge to Reopen

After two years to the date, City officials say, the South Alamo Street bridge will finally reopen at the end of October. The initial completion date for the entire construction project that started with street improvements on both ends of the bridge was set for August, but we all know how major construction project deadlines work – they typically don’t.

A ribbon cutting ceremony and parade organized by the King William Neighborhood Association will officially open the bridge on Nov. 1 at the intersection of Guenther and South Alamo streets from 10 a.m. to noon. The Blue Star Arts Complex will host an open house following the event.

The initial total project cost according to the City’s Department of Transportation and Capital Improvements (TCI) staff was $6.1 million, including utilities, but after the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) workers encountered delays while installing a complex sewer siphoning project, the project cost jumped to $7.2 million.

“The increase in budget is a result of the construction stakeholders incurring additional costs due to unforeseen events, such as an extended work timeline by SAWS,” stated April Alcoser, spokesperson for TCI, in an email. “We also had unforeseen field conditions such as the discovery of an excessive amount of concrete trolley track buried under the pavement that needed to be removed, as well as utility conflicts.”

Don’t expect perfection on Nov. 1. There is still work to be done on the sidewalk and landscaping – including trees and tree grates – and pedestrian lighting fixtures will be installed. The remaining work is to be completed by the end of December, expect some additional – but temporary – closures.

During the morning rush hour these days, cars line up on Guenther Street in front of the San Antonio River Authority’s office to take the three-block detour via Main Avenue and Probandt Street to cross the San Antonio River. The South Alamo Street bridge has been closed for about a year while it undergoes a major structural renovation, blocking the main entrance to Blue Star Arts Complex and all the shops, galleries, restaurants, and bars within, as well as the adjacent Guenther House.

None of the businesses have had to close their doors due to the construction, but they certainly have been missing out on that casual, passerby business. While the back entrance off of Probandt Street is well-indicated, the signage and building facades are not nearly as inviting as the main entrance off South Alamo Street.

Pedestrians and cyclists continued to use the narrow sidewalk on the bridge’s south side throughout construction, but were often joined by the smell of sewage in the heat of summer as SAWS replaced a 12-inch water line and a 36-inch sewer line under the San Antonio River.

Other improvements include roadway reconstruction from four narrow-lanes to proposed three-lane (center turn lane) wider sidewalks, curb ramps that meet ADA standards, pedestrian crosswalks, a pedestrian “refuge island,” landscaping, and CPS Energy gas main and AT&T fiber optic line replacement. The engineer hired by the City for the project is GKW Engineering. The contractor is J3 Company. TCI, CPS Energy, AT&T, and SAWS all have collaborated on the project.

Construction began more than two years ago on the first phase of the project, which included improvements on the section of South Alamo Street between Guenther and Pereida Streets. The work diverted trolley and tour bus routes onto South Main Avenue that will be eventually be moved back to serve Blue Star visitor traffic.

Just a few blocks away, Phase II and III of street improvements, paid for by HEB to accommodate its new grocery store on the corner of East César Chávez Boulevard and South Flores Street – and ultimately the closure of a section of South Main Avenue for its new headquarters – are underway.