December 20, 2023, the Via Vera Cruz bridge and Discovery Street, including the extension to Twin Oaks Valley Road, have been officially opened to the public. These major milestones come after years of hard work by the City of San Marcos and their construction partners working together to complete the many infrastructure improvements for the Creek project.
This news comes after the Creek project team held a dedication ceremony for the Via Vera Cruz bridge on Friday, Dec. 15 for Pia Harris-Ebert, another big accomplishment for the city.
With the opening of the Pia Harris-Ebert bridge, the below improvements have been made:
Elevating the roadway to reduce seasonal flooding.
Expanding the road to four lanes.
Adding bike lanes, and sidewalks to improve the ability for residents to walk, bike and drive through the area.
Undergrounding utility lines.
Via Vera Cruz Bridge open
“One of the main priorities of the Creek project was prioritizing residents’ ability to safely and efficiently travel throughout San Marcos,” said Isaac Etchamendy, City Engineer for the City of San Marcos. “With the opening of Via Vera Cruz and Discovery Street, the project has managed to do just that.”
The City coordinated with the nearby private project to extend Discovery Street to Twin Oaks Valley Road. Shea and Lennar lead the effort for work on Discovery from Craven Road up to Twin Oaks Valley as part of their development on Discovery Village South homes.
The City’s Discovery Street improvements included:
Creating a new two-way turn lane to facilitate entry/exit of neighborhoods.
Expanding the road to four lanes.
Adding new sidewalks and bike lanes to improve the ability for residents to walk, bike and drive through the area.
Undergrounding utility lines.
Construction of the levee along the north side of street and the reconfiguration of the Bent Avenue/Craven Intersection.
Roadway improvements on the north and south side of the street, including raising the road up to meet the new bridges.
Installation of new sound wall between Lake View Mobile Estates property and the roadway.
Discovery Street Extension Open
With both roadways open, construction crews can now turn their attention to finishing touches including final paving on Bent Avenue, landscaping along the roadways and finalizing the park. In early January, Bent Avenue will be closed for two days while construction crews work on final paving of the road. Final striping of the street will commence shortly after paving with traffic flaggers present so the road can remain open to through traffic.
The new Paseo del Arroyo Park and Creek habitat are on track to be completed by Spring 2024, pending weather delays.
Construction alerts
The City encourages members of the public to visit the project website and sign up for alerts to stay informed throughout the remainder of the project:
Website: Visit www.san-marcos.net/creek (English) or www.san-marcos.net/arroyo (Spanish) for project information.
Text updates: Text SMCreek (English) or ARROYOSM (Spanish) to (760) 281-7300 for text alerts.
Project hotline: Call 877-SMCREEK with any questions and a team member will respond within 48 hours.
Email: Email creek@san-marcos.net (English) or arroyo@san-marcos.net (Spanish) with questions or requests and a team member will respond within 48 hours.
About the Creek Project
In addition to creating new outdoor spaces for San Marcos residents to enjoy, the Creek project will:
Add needed infrastructure to relieve long-standing flooding risks and issues.
Improve traffic circulation.
Preserve the San Marcos Creek.
Revitalize and enhance the Creek habitat.
Build the new Paseo del Arroyo Park, trails and gathering spaces.
