SAN ANTONIO – Mary Lou Aguirre has called one North San Antonio street home for more than 40 years, but she said recent construction on Capitol Avenue made her feel trapped.
“I’ve been here since 1983,” Aguirre said. “There’s a big hole in the area that I used to get out.”
Aguirre uses a wheelchair because part of her leg was amputated two years ago. The front door to her house isn’t accessible, so with the help of her care team, she typically uses a path through the backyard to leave her property.
That was until a bond and street reconstruction project began on Capitol Avenue between West Hildebrand Avenue and Fredericksburg Road. Here’s what we know from Public Works about this project:
- It’s divided into five construction phases
- It was expected to last from March 2025 to September 2026
- The project is currently in Phase 3 (West Summit Avenue to West Mulberry Avenue) and Phase 4 (West Mulberry Avenue to West Mistletoe Avenue)
That’s why the sidewalk and back driveway next to Aguirre’s property had been torn up for weeks, making her once accessible exit inaccessible.
“They tore up the sidewalk, and they just left it like that,” Aguirre said.
Aguirre said she tried to call the city, but never got help. That’s when she reached out to KSAT. We met her on Monday and saw for ourselves the knee-high rock pile sitting outside her gate.
“I can’t get out of here,” Aguirre said on Monday.
KSAT emailed Public Works about her situation that same day. It only took a couple of hours for a solution to get started. We revisited Aguirre on Tuesday morning.
She told KSAT that multiple people from Public Works had stopped by to give her a personal update on the project.
One man “explained to me that they were not finished,” Aguirre said on Tuesday. “They had gone on, but they would be coming back, and it would be taken care of.”
When KSAT revisited on Tuesday, the rock-and-debris pile had been removed, and it was obvious that city crews had tried to smooth out the sidewalk near her gate so it was accessible.
“It is standard construction practice to apply the final layer of asphalt towards the final phase of the project, which will address the resident’s concerns,” a Public Works spokesperson told KSAT in an email.
Public Works told KSAT Aguirre’s situation should be fully addressed in the next two weeks.
“Are you feeling hopeful after seeing the progress?” KSAT Reporter Avery Everett asked.
“Oh, I’m feeling very hopeful,” Aguirre said. “In fact, I feel like crying. Thank you. You guys have been great.”
Once the sidewalk is fixed, Aguirre said her next focus is to find a new accessible ramp.
Public Works said if someone has similar concerns about a current city project, they should refer to the original flyer alerting them to the construction. That signage should have project-specific contact information. If no direct contact information is available, the city said to submit a request through 311.
To view the street projects dashboard, click here.
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