SAN ANTONIO – Wider sidewalks, improved ADA accessibility, and better bus stop access are among the improvements coming to a long stretch of Wurzbach Road.
Construction is underway to improve pedestrian amenities along Wurzbach Road from Interstate 10 to Fredericksburg Road.
The $2.35 million project will be conducted in four phases, beginning with the area between I-10 and Bluemel Road. The money is from a 2017 city bond.
Work on the first three phases will be conducted overnight to minimize traffic disruption. Two-way traffic will be maintained at all times. Businesses and their parking lots will remain accessible. There will be intermittent sidewalk closures.
“This area of Wurzbach Road has a lot of pedestrians and public transit riders,” San Antonio Public Works Director Razi Hosseini said. “We want to give them a safer and more comfortable experience. Performing most of the construction at night will help keep lanes open during the day for those traveling to and from the Medical Center.”
Asraf Nahil owns the popular Ali Baba International Food Market on Wurzbach and has seen some major changes to traffic there.
“I’ve been in San Antonio for close to 40 years, and I’ve been in this location for 25 years,” said Nahil. “There’s a big difference in the numbers of cars. Idon’t want to say it has tripled, but minimum doubled.”
Nahil feels the change is needed for people living in the area, especially for families using Wurzbach.
“A lot of people walk into our location or some other businesses on Wurzbach from those apartments behind us, so they need those sidewalks,” said Nahil.
Business owners also say the communication about the project from city officials has been clear.
“Since Ali Baba is an international food market, they gave me a letter in three or four different languages to post it in my window,” said Nahil.
“In this area, you see people from all over the world,” said Khaled Tarboush, Ultimate Dental Care owner. “Most of these families don’t have a car. They do a lot of walking, and they go to all the stores here.”
“What we’re trying to do is really improve some of the pedestrian safety and experience through this corridor by rebuilding a lot of the sidewalks,” said David McBeth, assistant city Engineer at the City of San Antonio.
The project is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2025. For more information and to sign up for project updates, click here.