By Tony Cantú
Contributing Writer

Alamo Heights city officials have identified the first project to be financed from last year’s $7.5 million debt issuance: the total reconstruction of East Castano Avenue.

At the Feb. 25 city council meeting, Public Works director Shawn Eddy briefed city council members on proposed work along the East Castano stretch between Vanderhoven Drive and North New Braunfels Avenue. Improvements include the main artery’s reconstruction, expansion to accommodate four lanes of traffic instead of two, construction of sidewalks on the north end and replacement of existing water and sewer lines, Eddy said.

“The condition of this particular street is poor,” he said. “It will require complete reconstruction, not just mill and overlay.”

The street work represents the city’s first Capital Improvement Program project to be funded through $7.5 million worth of certificates of obligation issued last year. In October, Eddy said the city netted $7,422,652 in proceeds after issuance costs from the bond sale — $5.1 million earmarked for the general fund and another $2.3 million for the utilities fund.

Eddy previously cited the East Castano project as one of several under the general fund portion of bond-financed municipal work.

In his recent presentation, Eddy noted the city already has a head start on the work. Reconstruction was previously designed and bid in 2004 by Sunbelt Engineering and four traffic studies of the area around the street have been conducted between 1997 and 2003, he said.

To further compress preliminaries, Eddy suggested utilizing the city’s existing engineer to determine whether to widen the street or allow for parallel parking along its edges. Eddy also suggested the engineer could study an increased-traffic situation – unrelated to East Castano – along East Elmview.

Several residents have complained of increased traffic – attributed to Alamo Heights High School students rushing to class – along the 200 block of East Elmview.

As for East Castano, council took no action pending a construction contract before approval. Once performed, work on East Castano – like East Elmview in close proximity to the high school – will be timed during student holidays to lessen inconvenience. Eddy said construction would likely begin the day after the last day of classes, with completion – and roadway opened to limited traffic – by the first class day.

Eddy said the Infra- structure and Service Council Committee previously recommended approval, and staff has hosted preliminary meetings with Alamo Heights High School officials and adjacent property owners likely affected by construction.

East Castano is one of several streets targeted for bond-financed repair and asphalt overlay Eddy previously outlined, among them Broadway from the Claywell city limits to Austin Highway; North New Braunfels from Austin Highway to Burr Road; and a portion of Viesca between Greely and Ogden.