Design contract approved for New Braunfels’ Alligator Creek Trail East

The project supports strategic goals within the city’s Envision New Braunfels plan tied to economic mobility and enhanced connectivity, aligning with ongoing efforts to modernize city infrastructure, according to agenda documents.

Plans call for a new 12-foot-wide shared-use path connecting the creek trail to existing pedestrian infrastructure within the Texas Department of Transportation and city rights-of-way, agenda documents state.

How we got here

City Council previously approved an ordinance in February 2023 expanding the Creekside Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, or TIRZ, to include the Alligator Creek Trail East corridor. The action also allowed up to $5 million in TIRZ funding for the design and construction of the project.

A TIRZ allows the city to capture a portion of taxes within a designated area to be used in the reinvestment or development of the zone, according to the city’s website.

A preliminary engineering report in October 2024 refined the scope of Phase 1, which focused on trail segments inside the Creekside development and along the east fork of Alligator Creek between I-35 and FM 1101, agenda documents state.

City staff issued a call for pre-qualified engineering firms earlier this year, receiving 11 responses. After interviews with three finalists, Freese & Nichols was selected based on qualifications, relevant experience and understanding of the project’s requirements.

Quote of note

Bransford said this is an exciting project.

“We want to build trails throughout the entire community and this is a fast growing area of town. Creekside has a lot of, not only residential traffic, but of course commercial traffic and it will be good to get trail on the ground,” Bransford said.

Looking ahead

Upon the completion of the trail segment’s final design, the city will know more about the cost details. Construction timelines for Phase 1 will be determined following completion of the final design.

The final design for the east segment of the trail is slated to be completed in late 2026, Bransford told Community Impact.