UPDATE: The day after this story aired, city spokesperson Laura Mayes reached out to KSAT to say that the project will be completed in May 2023. That’s several months earlier than what was initially indicated in an interview with city staff on Wednesday.
ORIGINAL: The North New Braunfels Phase 1 Project on the East Side is now expected to be complete by fall 2023.
Frustrated business owners along North New Braunfels Avenue say they’ve spent the last year trying to make it work while the city tries to finish the $9 million project.
“Either make it through or lose your property, so we got to make it work,” Herbert Harrison, who owns a business on North New Braunfels Avenue.
Paul Berry, spokesperson for San Antonio Public Works, said the weather was a factor, but traffic was the major issue.
“It is mainly because this is a very narrow road. If we want to maintain two-way traffic, it makes it difficult to install utilities safely with two-way traffic from cars and via buses,” Berry said.
Berry referred to underground utilities, such as gas, electric and telecommunications infrastructure.
On the other hand, small business owners say those delays are coming at a cost.
“Four of our small businesses have closed,” said Nneka Cleaver, an East Side small business owner.
The city’s message to people in the area is to hold out for now.
“We certainly understand construction can be inconvenient, but to get to a better place, you have to go through a project like this and a process like this and do it right,” Berry said.
Stakeholders in the neighborhood on North New Braunfels between East Houston and Burleson streets are asking crews to speed up and work efficiently before it’s too late.
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