SAWS project will close a busy road near downtown for six months

A major thoroughfare near downtown will be closed for much of the next six months as the San Antonio Water System works to replace old pipes. 

Closures will start this month on a stretch of Hildebrand Avenue between McCullough Avenue and Devine Road west of U.S. 281, near Trinity University. The full road isn’t scheduled to reopen until March. 

Detours will take drivers into the Monte Vista and Olmos Park neighbors as they travel between San Pedro Avenue and U.S. 281. 

The $11.3 million project is replacing underground water mains that are more than a century old and have a history and high probability of failures, SAWS said. In addition to Hildebrand, the project includes work on Camden Street and Euclid Avenue, which is scheduled to start in 2027. 

On East Hildebrand Avenue and Old Hildebrand Avenue, SAWS is replacing more than 4,6000 feet of water mains, the utility said. 

The first phase of work will close Hildebrand from McCullough Avenue to Shook Avenue from October through December. The next phase, scheduled for January through March, will close the street from Shook to Devine Street, which is about a quarter mile west of U.S. 281. 

Detours for the initial closure will take drivers west to San Pedro Avenue or east to Shook Avenue, and north to Olmos Drive or south to Huisache Avenue. 

Lane closures are expected to start in late October when crews start work on locating the underground utilities, with construction and full road closures set to start on Oct. 26. 

“At times, we may need to temporarily shut off water service to connect new lines to the existing system,” SAWS said. “If your service will be affected, we’ll notify you in advance.”