SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio City Council approved an ordinance and funding reallocation to begin the process of creating a significant thoroughfare project aimed at connecting portions of the city’s major manufacturers across the South Side.
The decision came down during a packed council meeting on Thursday, which included appointing the city’s first woman fire chief and approving the city’s state legislative program ahead of next year’s state session.
Recommended Videos
The plan — dubbed the East-West Connector Major Thoroughfare Plan Realignment Project — will support the creation of a roadway across the region, connecting portions of some of the city’s major manufacturing and innovation districts.
During comments at the top of Thursday’s council meeting, District 4 Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia put it bluntly.
“Plain and simple, the South Side’s time has come,” she said.
The project, a top priority on the city’s legislative program, is still in its early stages. However, on Thursday, City Council approved the project’s first steps with a proposed feasibility study.
“When completed, this project (is) gonna be the catalyst to transform all of the South Side of San Antonio into the center of advanced manufacturing in Texas while also enhancing the quality of life for current and future residents,” Rocha Garcia said.
Funds totaling $250,000 will be allocated from an Economic Development Incentive Fund for the study. The project would cross through both City Council Districts 3 and 4.
Through the study, the city hopes to identify and evaluate alternative roadway options from Interstate 35 to Interstate 37, below Loop 410, according to city documents.
On top of expected engineering projections and environmental impacts, the study will weigh construction costs and support future grant and funding opportunities.