Drivers and pedestrians in Boerne will notice significant changes starting March 31 as Phase 1 of the Adler Road improvement project advances.
Construction crews are shifting traffic to newly completed sections of roadway and sidewalk at Currey Creek, allowing work to continue on remaining portions of the project. This shift is anticipated to occur on Wednesday, April 1.
“You’ll see big changes this week,” City Engineer Abigail Knott said. “The contractor will be moving to the north side, which means drivers will now be using the newly built road, and pedestrians can use the newly built sidewalk.”
With traffic utilizing the newly constructed southern portion, crews will begin work on the north side of the road, including culvert installation and roadway completion.
During construction near Currey Creek, crews encountered an unforeseen obstacle – an old water well.
“It was not something we knew was going to be there,” Knott said. “That does take time to coordinate, because we have to understand – Is it historic? Do we need to preserve it, or are we allowed to cap over it?”
The City worked with the Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District to ensure all regulatory requirements were met before capping the well.
Near Curington Elementary School, motorists will see temporary traffic changes as construction intensifies at the second culvert replacement location at No Name Creek. On Monday, crews paved a temporary lane and sidewalk, which will allow the installation of a signal light when traffic is temporarily reduced to one lane.
“You will see lights come up to control traffic, as drivers will just be utilizing one side of the road,” Knott said. “Activity will start on that southern portion, much like near Currey Creek.”
Knott said construction near Currey Creek is expected to wrap up by early summer. As for the section of road near the elementary school, that will take a little while longer.
“We anticipate the section at Currey Creek will be done by summertime this year,” she said. “So, around June we’ll start doing heavy activity on the southern portion near Curington Elementary on the south side.”
Once that phase is complete, crews will shift to the north side of the roadway near the school. The City aims to complete that portion of the project before the start of the next school year.
The new culverts are designed to accommodate a greatly increased volume of water during heavy rain and flooding events and will raise both creek crossings out of the 100-year floodplain.
The $5 million project was listed in the City’s 2020 Drainage Master Plan and is being paid for through funding from the federal government as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. The City partnered with Kendall County for the project, which is contributing $1.5 million of federal funds toward the total project cost.
Visit the City Projects webpage for updates on the Adler Road project and other capital improvements.
