By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
The city of Del Rio held an open house discussion for the De La Rosa Overpass Project at San Felipe Springs Multi-Purpose Facility Thursday.
Among topics discussed during the event were infrastructure projects for new lanes and sidewalk refinements on the northeast side of Del Rio.
Every year the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) announces funding opportunities for eligible projects. City officials say they plan to submit applications to TxDOT this year for the East De La Rosa Overpass project and the Bedell Street Improvement project.
City administrators displayed graphs and maps with measurements and details about the projects at the facility. Citizens were invited to hear about the projects and provide feedback and suggestions. Michael Garcia, assistant to the city manager, said these two projects have been discussed for more than a year.
The East De La Rosa Overpass project will involve creating a pedestrian bridge with two lanes. The bridge will begin from Avenue 4 and end on Jap Lowe Drive. The purpose of this project is to give students attending Dr. Fermin Calderon Elementary and Del Rio Middle School a safe route to walk to and from school.
The North Bedell Street Improvement project involves adding a turning lane starting from Dodson Avenue in the north and ending on East Gibbs Street in the south. Garcia said the additional turning lane on North Bedell Avenue is to help decrease traffic around the Val Verde Regional Medical Center and provide more pathways for the ambulances and other vehicles to move through the area.
These projects will also focus on creating sidewalks, bike lanes and ADA ramps for students and pedestrians to use.
“We been discussing (these projects) for a while; it’s one of the critical needs for the community. This is a great opportunity because TxDOT has additional funding through the infrastructure build,” Garcia said.
Jake Carsten, board member of the Del Rio Parks Foundation, attended the open house event. Carsten said he is supportive of everything presented at the public discussion.
City Engineer Albert Quintanilla said the city has been in touch with the schools and the hospital, who all give their approval of these projects.
Garcia said the city has a great relationship with the Texas Department of Transportation. He said if the city is awarded the grant, TxDOT will pay 80 percent of the project cost, and the city will pay 20 percent as its local match.
Garcia said the city plans to pay for the construction of the additional lane on North Bedell Avenue and apply to TxDOT for construction of the sidewalks, bike lanes and ADA ramps. Additional refinements and feedback from the open house discussion will be presented to the city council on May 23.
