The City of San Antonio has delayed the closure of East César Chávez Boulevard, but the Transportation and Capital Improvements Department has announced that the closure will begin Feb. 13-17. Traffic is snarled around intersections at E. César Chávez Boulevard around downtown and southbound Hwy. 281.
Originally published Feb. 3, 2015:
It won’t stop hundreds of runners, both civilian and firefighters, from racing up the stairs of the 750-foot tall Tower of Americas Saturday morning, but city crews will close eastbound lanes and one westbound lane on César Chávez Boulevard from Thursday evening to Monday morning to allow for underground drainage work that is part of the redevelopment of Hemisfair Park.
Keep that in mind if you use the boulevard for daily commutes or if you’re heading to Hemisfair Park for the Lone Star Tower Climb and Run which will take place at the Tower starting at 7:15 a.m. Saturday with more than 1,500 runners registered for the annual event. Runner check-in will start at 6 a.m.
The closures start Thursday at 8 p.m. All lanes will be reopened by Monday at 6 a.m.
“One westbound lane (toward S. Alamo) will remain open for drivers on César E. Chávez Boulevard. Drivers headed eastbound (toward IH 37) will turn left onto South Alamo and right onto Market to reach IH 37 or access other portions of César E. Chávez Boulevard,” the City announced Tuesday. “Area businesses and residents were notified and the closure has been posted on message boards along César E. Chávez Boulevard to alert drivers. Business and residential access will be maintained during the detour period.”
(Click the list icon in the upper left corner of the map below for details.)
Proceeds from the Tower Run, organized by and for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF), go to help local children and adults struggling with the life-threatening genetic disease at three San Antonio care centers.
Online registration for the climb and run has closed, but registration packets can be picked up Tuesday-Thursday at various locations. Click here for more information. Parking will be available at the Tower parking lot off of the southbound IH 37 access road (click here for a map) as well as other nearby lots and street meters, but it is first come, first served.
“Parking is extremely limited,” said Hugh Farr, CFF event coordinator, “(Attendees) need to plan with a lot of advance notice to perhaps park a distance and then walk to the Tower.”
The drainage work is part of the Hemisfair Streets Project, which will recreate Water and East Nueva Streets within the park grounds. The streets were eliminated during the construction of HemisFair ’68. A “complete street” design approach will allow for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians to comfortably maneuver through the park.
*Featured/top image: Map of weekend closures and detours courtesy of the City of San Antonio.
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