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San Marcos officials fast-track repairs after Cape Road bridal crossing sloughs off; environmental permitting cited as critical path
Summary
City engineers say a major crack at the bridal crossing on Cape Road near the San Marcos River prompted a closure and fast-tracked environmental review. Officials estimate design 6–12 months and construction 3–6 months; one-way traffic will remain during design and may persist for 9–12 months or longer.
City engineering staff on Aug. 20 told the San Marcos Neighborhood Commission that a section of the Cape Road crossing has sloughed off and been closed after a structural engineer—s inspection. Sean Converse, director of engineering and capital improvement, said the closed lane is on the downstream side of the crossing and that the remaining lane is in usable condition.
Converse said the crossing sits in a bridal connected to the San Marcos River and that Texas Parks and Wildlife classifies the waterway as fountain predator habitat, which limits how the city can approach repairs. He said the city has retained HDR to fast-track environmental studies and permitting required before replacement work can proceed.
"The critical path is environmental requirements," Converse said. Staff are planning for a six- to 12-month design period followed by three to six months of construction, he said, though he later told commissioners he expects an overall timeline of about 18 months before the crossing is fully restored. During design, the crossing will remain a one-way configuration; construction would close it for the duration of the work.
Converse said the city is evaluating whether any temporary measures (for example, a short bridge deck) could reduce the one-way period, but he cautioned commissioners not to count on temporary fixes. He said the city is assessing whether future improvements called for in the city—s master plan — including a 10-foot shared-use path — are feasible at the site, but environmental constraints and a lack of repair budget mean major expansions are unlikely to be included in the immediate repair.
Commissioners asked about coordination with nearby county construction at Kick Pond Park and traffic impacts; Converse said he does not anticipate the closure preventing county contractors from accessing their site, since construction equipment can stage from U.S. 35 and other access points. He also said the repair is not yet budgeted and that a full repair could exceed $1 million.
Commissioners pressed whether the design process would consider widening or adding an elevated pedestrian crossing in the future; Converse said staff would avoid blocking potential future expansions even if those are not part of the fast-tracked repair.
