Bridging the Gap

A new pedestrian bridge was installed at Bicentennial Park on Thursday as a part of the San Marcos River Shared Use Pathway Project.

Although riverfront parks are currently closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, construction continues on the shared use pathway project, which stretches 1.7 miles and will connect the City of San Marcos’ Visitor's Center, several parks, downtown and Texas State University. The trail will tie into an existing trail east of the Hopkins Street bridge and end approximately 205 feet west of the southbound Interstate 35 access road.

The trail project will include safety measures such as lights around its path, below-grade crossing at Cheatham Street and the railroad right-of-way at Rio Vista Park.

The San Marcos River Shared Use Pathway Project was originally approved by the city council and submitted to the Texas Department of Transportation in May 2017. A TxDOT contractor is constructing the project for an amount not to exceed $1,519,610. The city is providing $500,000 for the project.

The project includes tree protection as TxDOT will prune overgrown trees to allow clearance for equipment and to prevent tree damage throughout construction. Fencing will be added and measures will be taken to protect trunk and root zones, according to the city.

The San Marcos River Shared Use Pathway Project is expected to be completed by early summer, weather permitting.