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Weslaco updates Kansas/Los Torritos drainage work as crews navigate century-old water main and other utility conflicts
Summary
City engineers told the commission March 18 that excavation at Mayor Paul Bueno Park is about 80–85% complete but progress has slowed by conflicts with an 18-inch asbestos-concrete water transmission line, a gas main and a sewer reroute; Half Associates is planning a temporary shutdown and reroute to limit impacts.
Mayor and staff framed the Kansas/Los Torritos (Kansas Agostadero/Los Torritos) drainage project as a safety and flood-mitigation priority for a historic neighborhood in Weslaco.
Peter, the project presenter, said excavation at Mayor Paul Bueno Park is roughly 80–85% complete and that contractor crews have been installing drainage boxes at a current average of about four boxes per day. He told the commission the contractor has also built temporary dams and is continuously pumping water to protect the excavation while installing gravel per specifications.
The major complication is a utility conflict: crews discovered an 18-inch asbestos-concrete transmission water line installed around 1962 that feeds the city’s Bridge and 18th water tower. Half Associates is developing a reroute plan; Peter said the contractor has ordered necessary valves (two-week lead time) and staff will seek a short, temporary shutoff window “within less than four hours” to perform the cut and bypass work. He also reported an unplanned gas line and a sewer alignment to be addressed via coordination with Texas Gas Service and utility owners.
Commissioners pressed for a clearer resident timeline for disruption and parking impacts. Peter said initial time frames were three to four months but that excavation at the crossing and the need to treat the historic water line carefully have slowed progress; the contractor is prioritizing paving sections as they move forward to relieve affected residents.
Peter and commissioners said the project team intends to maintain frequent communication with emergency management, the U.S. Postal Service for mailbox routing during phased work, and directly with impacted households. Staff said they will provide more progress updates as the crossing and reroute plans progress.
The commission did not take additional formal action on the item at the meeting but discussed future paving and outreach steps.
