SAN ANTONIO – A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday morning to commemorate the beginning of construction on the Alazan Creek Linear Trail project.
"Oh my god, we've been waiting for this," said Lourdes Galvan, San Antonio River Authority boardmember. "We voted about six years ago to approve the funding for all the creeks in San Antonio."
The City of San Antonio invested $1.2 million in the project, which will expand the Howard W. Peak Greenway Trails System to Alazan Creek.
A 10-foot-wide paved path will start near Woodlawn Lake on Texas Avenue and will run to Lombrano Street. It will include shaded areas and several parking areas with entrances to the trail.
The trail is only about a half-mile long but it's the first stage of a bigger plan to build seven miles of connecting trails on the West Side.
"It means a lot because, you know, there's been so much development on the South Side (and in) the King Wiliam area. They cleared that up. Now they're talking about the San Pedro Creek area (and) with this adjoining it, it's going to be inclusive," said Tomas Guadiano, a West Side resident.
The Alazan Creek Trail is expected to be complete next spring.
Groundbreaking on other West Side trails is expected to begin soon.
Meanwhile, an upcoming election will be held for funding of Edwards Aquifer Protection and Linear Creekway Parks programs.
On May 9, voters will have their say on two separate ballot initiatives that would extend the collection of a 1/8-cent sales tax over a five-year period. The goal is to increase allocation of funds from the current $135 million to $180 million.