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The City of San Antonio has officially hit the brakes on its plans for a section of Broadway after a dispute with the Texas Department of Transportation.
The Upper Broadway project ranged from Broadway's intersection with Casa Blanca (near where the Pig Stand used to be) north to the intersection with Burr Road (across from the University of the Incarnate Word).
San Antonio's Public Works Department explained in a statement to TPR that it now considered the Upper Broadway development to be a Texas Department of Transportation project because TxDOT rescinded a previous turnback agreement.
The statement explained that the "City of San Antonio’s plans for the Upper Broadway project included a reduced number of traffic lanes, wider sidewalks, and protected bike lanes."
Razi Hosseini, City of San Antonio's public works director, added in a separate statement that the “City of San Antonio was committed to fulfilling the Upper Broadway project as originally designed. ... It was not the City’s decision to alter this voter-approved 2017 bond project.”
The funds that remain for this portion of the Broadway Street Corridor project include $7.3 million in 2017 bond funding; about $38.3 million in Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization funding; and about $36.9 million in Midtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TIRZ) funding, the public works department said.
The city has not yet determined how these funds will be reallocated.
The city's Lower Broadway project — which runs from Broadway's intersection with I-35 south to East Houston Street — was funded in the 2017 bond and is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2024. This project will reconstruct the roadway and improve pedestrian amenities. For more information, visit SASpeakUp.com/LowerBroadway.
At least some part of Upper Broadway would've received similar remodeling. Supporters claim that might've reduced traffic noise, auto emissions and heat, provided more shade for pedestrians, residents and bikers, and improved safety for visitors to the Pearl development and nearby restaurants and other businesses.
The Texas Department of Transportation did not respond to TPR's request for comment. However, in past conversations with TPR, it explained that it was not in favor of reducing traffic lanes on one of the main thoroughfares of the city's center.
"TxDOT is set to begin work on SL 368 (Broadway) from Roy Smith to Casa Blanca on September 4, 2023. The work to be done includes milling, overlay, base repair and restripe work. The contractor, Texas Materials, is expected to complete this work before the end of the year. The section between Casa Blanca to Burr Road is anticipated to go out for bid in December 2023," the statement read.
The 18-month project will focus on safety, maintenance, and operational enhancements to repair the roadway, add ADA accessibility to intersections, and improve sidewalks and curbs, according to TxDOT.
