The details
According to city officials, the roadway was initially reconstructed in spring 2020. Because the road was already experiencing pavement failures including rutting, bumps and other irregularities, the city plans to rebuild the section.
The issues promoted the city to evaluate the cause of the failures and re-evaluate design plans, materials and construction. An outside engineering firm determined the main cause of the failures to be the base material and the application process was used for the project, according to the city.
“The original design of the project was selected for its cost savings and efficiencies, but that selection, along with how the design was applied, led to a less robust, less durable roadway for the number and weight of vehicles that use the road,” city officials said in a news release.
City officials said litigation was considered to resolve the issues; however, it was determined that the most cost-effective and time-sensitive way to move forward is to rebuild the roadway using a re-engineered pavement section.
Diving in deeper
The engineering work is planned to begin soon with construction to follow. Design and construction options will be evaluated with the goal of minimizing impacts to residents and businesses where feasible, according to the city.
Beginning in October, drivers in the area can expect to see city road construction crews milling and overlaying several sections of the roadway between Academy Avenue and Walnut Avenue. The work is anticipated to take a few days with intermittent lane closures for short durations, according to a news release.
More information on street maintenance and repairs in New Braunfels can be found at www.newbraunfels.gov/streets.
