By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
An extension of Dodson Avenue linking Chapman Road and Lausen Road in northeast Del Rio is now open to traffic.
County Commissioner Pct. 2 Juan Carlos Vazquez, whose road crew worked on the project over the past year, announced the opening of the roadway on Monday.
Vazquez and County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. joined Vazquez’s road crewmembers at the site Monday afternoon to remove temporary fencing and barrels to open the Dodson Avenue extension, which links Lausen Road and Chapman Road.
Vazquez spoke to the 830 Times about the project.
“This project, we started about a year ago, and basically we took Dodson all the way to Lausen, and the reason we did it and because it so important to the community, is that this road is going to help us when we start working on flooding relief in this area, placing some culverts on Lausen,” Vazquez said.
The area of Lausen Road near U.S. Highway 90/Veterans Boulevard
drains the residential area known as the Del Rio Hedges just north of Lausen, which floods during heavy rains.
“This (extension) is going to allow residents from the areas (east of Dodson) to have an exit while we’re working on the Lausen drainage project,” Vazquez added.
He said the entire 600-foot extension of Dodson Avenue was constructed by his Precinct 2 road crew. Vazquez said the project cost about $25,000.
“We just wanted to let the public know that the road is now open,” the commissioner added.
Vazquez said he invited Owens to the road opening because Owens had also worked on drainage projects in the area when he was the Precinct 2 commissioner before Vazquez.
“The commissioners court had already set money aside, $375,000, to do the low-water crossing there on Lausen,” Owens said.
“Ultimately, this and the upcoming drainage project is going to help out all of these residents out here,” Vazquez added.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com .
