Downtown Detours

Whether you live and/or work downtown or — like most San Marcans — visit the area to conduct business, shop, have a meal or take a cool dip in the 72-degree river, you’ve got some changes coming.

Beginning on Monday, July 30, CM Allen Parkway, which winds along the river from University Drive to Interstate 35, will undergo a significant change.

The roadway will be closed from University Drive to E. Hopkins Street — and the closure is expected to last more than eight months.

Traffic will be detoured to Edward Gary Street and the intersection of Edward Gary and Hutchison Street will be made a two-way stop, with traffic on Hutchison having the right-of-way, Senior City Engineer Gregory J. Schwarz said. “The signal at Edward Gary and Hopkins that now includes protected left turns and timing will be changed to account for additional traffic,” he said. Additionally, “Modifications are being made at Edward Gary and University Drive to keep traffic flowing as much as possible.”

Pedestrian crossings on CM Allen will also be closed.

Events that normally take place in the San Marcos Plaza area as well as at the Old Fish Hatchery Building will go on as scheduled. For almost all of the time, the Plaza Park parking area will be closed.

A dynamic sign alerts motorists of the changes to come. Daily Record photo by Denise Cathey 

To accommodate the city’s annual Sights & Sounds of Christmas celebration, the parking area will be open and special accommodations will be made for pedestrians to access the festival grounds. As the festival near, city staff including Rodney Cobb will be fine-tuning the plans.

While Plaza Park parking is unavailable, there will be alternative parking during non-business hours at the Parks and Recreation Department (corner of CM Allen and Hopkins), the City Rec Center at City Park, and at Verimendi Plaza. The Parks and Recreation lot includes a handicap parking space with access to the plaza grounds and fish hatchery building.

The planned improvements are many, including reconstructing the roadway, adding a 12-foot multi-use pathway from Hopkins to Dog Beach on the river side and six-foot sidewalks on the downtown side. There will also be a 10-foot multi-use pathway link to the river, street-side parallel parking, trees and landscaping, street and pedestrian lighting to match that in use further into the Central Business District, a crosswalk at Hutchison, realignment of the Hutchison and Plaza Park parking lot intersections and “green infrastructure.”

The roadway is expected to open for traffic in April of next year, with the entire project scheduled for completion in August.