San Antonio Invests in East Side Connectivity

The study, awarded to AECOM Technical Services, aims to improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, making travel safer between Hemisfair, the convention center, the Alamodome, and the planned sports and entertainment district. The project will focus on the two-mile stretch of I-37 between Houston Street and Carolina Street. The goal is to reconnect neighborhoods long divided by the construction of I-37 in the 1960s. The highway's construction displaced residents and created a physical and economic barrier between the East Side and downtown. The project is part of a larger vision called Project Marvel, which includes a potential land bridge. The city also considers alternatives like sidewalks, crosswalks, bike paths, underpasses, or pedestrian bridges. Public input will begin in April. Funding includes nearly $3 million from a U.S. Department of Transportation Neighborhood Access and Equity Planning Grant, plus $740,000 from the city's Hotel Occupancy Tax Redemption and Capital Fund. The study is expected to be completed by the end of the year.