By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
City council members recently heard an update on work being done on city streets, as well as street reconstructions planned in the future.
Assistant Public Works Director Greg Velazquez gave the update during the council’s Nov. 14 meeting and began by reviewing the plan goals.
He told the council, “As you know, we’ve developed a comprehensive and uniform pavement management plan which is roadway specific to the greatest extent possible and is fiscally constrained. We generate pavement condition projections based on a financially constrained plan, assure maintenance resources are directed towards pavement operations and roadway related work. We also provide a reporting mechanism for public works, the engineer and administration to use in briefing elected officials and allow districts and council to appropriately allocate resources through long-term planning to accomplish the plan.”
“We want the council and the public to know what we’re doing and why we need to approve certain equipment to get the job done a lot quicker,” Velazquez added.
Velazquez reviewed statistics about Del Rio streets, noting the city has about 220 miles of streets and reminding the council capital improvement project (CIP) funds are used for street reconstruction and re-grading.
“Our pavement plan has shifted from overlays to reconstruction and re-grading. This is very important,” Velazquez said.
He noted in-house construction work by city employees is coordinated with water, sewer and gas improvements.
He said in Fiscal Year 2022-2023, about five miles of streets were reconstructed and re-graded, and he expects about 5.5 miles of city streets will be reconstructed and re-graded in Fiscal Year 2023-2024.
Velazquez went over the department’s organizational chart and reviewed specifics of work done by the department in Fiscal Year 2022-2023, which included 5,525 linear feet in drainage areas, 103,494 linear feet of potholes repaired, 23,948 blocks of city streets swept and 38 blocks of alley maintenance.
Velazquez went over work the streets department completed in Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
“We completed 3.7 miles, which was Debbs, Deborah Kay, Virgie Street, Mary Lou Drive from Deborah Kay to Virgie, Avenue G, a mile of Jap Lowe Drive from Highway 90, Sabrina, Rio Seco, Avenue J, East Sixth Street, Jodobo, Ricks, Beard, Ivy and Garden Crest,” Velazquez told the council.
In Fiscal 2022-2023, Velazquez said, the in-house paving plan included reconstruction of several streets, including Edna from Garfield Avenue to Olive Street and Olive Street from end to end.
“In progress, we just started today, Mayfield Street from Bolner Lane to the dead end, and once we finish there, and we’re looking at about a month, we’ll be doing West De La Rosa from McLymont Street to Dr. Fermin Calderon Boulevard. Then we’ll be doing McLymont from West De La Rosa to Bridge Street and then Bridge from McLymont Street to Gillis Avenue,” Velazquez said.
Councilwoman Alexandra Falcon Calderon asked, “What’s the average time for a street?”
“For 300 linear feet, it’s taking us, maybe a month, because you’ve got to include staff, equipment failures and whatnot, rain delays and, of course, any conditions you might run into, manholes or water valves that need to be adjusted, and materials. Sometimes that becomes an issue,” Velazquez explained.
He went over plans for future work, including planned reconstructions of Cortinas Street from Plaza Drive to McLymont Street, Palm Drive from Nicholson Street to the cul-de-sac, Canal Street from Pecan Street to the Canal lift station, Greenwood Street from South Main Street to Garfield Avenue, Summit Lane from Qualia Drive to its end and Losoya Street from Pulliam Street to Pecan Street.
Velazquez also reviewed the plan for reconstruction and leveling up of streets in Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
Work in this plan includes reconstruction of Bean Street from Gillis Avenue to Barrera Street, Cortinas Street from Gillis Avenue to Taini Avenue, Urista Street from Gillis Avenue to Taini Street, De La Rosa Street from Gillis Avenue to Taini Street and Brodbent Avenue from Bridge Street to Chapoy Street.
“At the end of this plan, we also added Riata, Espuela, Sombrero, Caballo and Alambre, and that is in the Alta Vista unit. As we all know, that area is in dire need. However, since we’re working on a water line replacement project there, these streets will not be part of the same phase of work. Phase 2 is from 10th Street, from Bedell to Veterans and from Veterans to Airport Boulevard. We’re looking at attacking that, hopefully, December of 2024, to go out for construction.
“After that, we’ll be addressing Phase 3, which will be Cantu all the way up to Amistad Boulevard,” Velazquez said.
Calderon asked what a “level-up” is.
“A level-up is when you go in with some base stabilization, some oil and rock, just simple level coat,” Velasquez replied.
“And that’s just to extend the life of the street?” Mayor Al Arreola asked, and Velazquez said it was.
“Because we’re going to go in there in the future and tear those streets up, so I’d just like to go in there and put some makeup on them, make them pretty, and then go in later and do the reconstruction,” he added.
Velazquez said the city has also contracted for pavement reconstruction work.
“And here you’re looking at the Highland Park and Hunter Subdivisions. You’re looking at Northill, Ridgewood, Crestline, Glendale, Long Drive, Hermann Drive, McGregor, Marshall Smith, Griner and West Strickland,” he said.
Velazquez told the council the design for Griner Street to Nicholson and from Strickland Street to Nicholson is in the works.
“The engineering firm we hired for this project has already done some surveying, and hopefully we’ll get the plans, the final designs, soon, so that we can go out for bids for the reconstruction of Griner and Strickland. That will be full reconstruction, curbs, gutters and sidewalks,” Velazquez said.
Arreola asked, “On these streets, Northill to West Strickland, these are all going to be reconstructed in 2024?”
“No, these are contracted, but they should be done, hopefully, in 2024,” Velazquez replied.
“And we’ve already gone out for bids on these?” the mayor asked.
“Not yet. They’re still in the design phase,” Velazquez replied.
Calderon asked what a design consisted of.
Velazquez replied, “So they have to do a complete survey, a site survey, of Griner Street and Strickland Street, and in a complete site survey, you pick up all your manholes, all your water lines, all your water valves. You do some elevation shots, for drainage. Do you want to have an inverted crown (on the street)? Do you want to have a slope? And also, some of these areas have the irrigation canal, from Garfield to Nicholson.”
After answering several other questions, Velazquez continued with his presentation, focusing on drainage issues that would be addressed in addition to street paving.
Calderon said drainage issues on Hermann Drive were brought up in a recent town hall meeting she hosted for her constituents, and Velasquez assured her those issues would be addressed in the work done in that area, known as the Hunter Subdivision.
Velasquez also told the council he and the city’s information technology staff are working to create a link on the city’s web site where members of the public can check on the progress of the city’s paving plan and review upcoming projects.
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