SAWS project leaves streets unpaved for months

Neighbors say street project in limbo with city, SAWS pointing finger at each other

SAN ANTONIO – A SAWS project that began in April was scheduled to be finished by May, but after digging up the road and working on the lines below, the work came to a sudden stop three months ago.

"So we're dealing with the cars going by, rocks flying, dirt all over the place, breaking windshield," said homeowner Carmen Jaramillo.

Jaramillo and neighbor Mary Segura are frustrated after countless calls to the city and SAWS, a slew of explanations and no work to show for it.

"They said it was a problem with SAWS and the city because of who is going to pay for what," Jaramillo said.

"He said they were going to come out, but they never have," Segura said.

"When they were doing the work during their project, they did identify some concerns with the base of the street," said City Transportation and Capital Improvements Department spokeswoman, April Alcoser.

She also explained the city and SAWS have been working together to determine how to go about finishing the project and have decided the city will manage the project, and SAWS will reimburse the city.

"The city has been working with SAWS to identify a contractor that can fix those concerns, the base of the street and then complete it with an asphalt overlay,"  Alcoser said.

Within 48 hours of the Defenders call to the city, there was a crew on the job.

According to Alcoser it will be complete sometime in August.