San Antonio Opens River Walk Extension May 30

May 20, 2009 by Paris and John
Filed under News and Festivals

The San Antonio River Walk has long been one of our favorite places in Texas so we were happy to hear that soon there will be even more of this attraction to enjoy. Now undergoing a $279 million expansion project, the first phase of the project is slated to open May 30, 2009.

This month’s opening unveils the 1.5-mile “Urban Segment,” just the first part of the project that will take the walk from its present two mile length to an eventual length of 13 miles.

This portion of the extension project extends navigation by river barges through a new lock and dam, creates access to major cultural institutions and commercial centers, features privately-funded public art installations, and adds landscaping, parks, water features, lighting and signage to the River North area, a Federal Empowerment Zone whose master plan recently won a Charter Award from the Congress for the New Urbanism. This project is the nation’s largest ecosystem restoration in an urban area.

Another notable aspect of the River Walk extension are the works by renown artists including leading faux bois artist, Carlos Cortes. The third-generation faux bois artist has created realistic concrete trees at the turnaround point of the extension, the Pearl Brewery complex, and he is also creating a unique grotto that visitors will actually walk behind:

London artist Martin Richman is creating an installation on the Lexington Street Bridge:

And Philadelphia artist Donald Lipski will bring a special beauty to another bridge with his installment, “Sunfish,” to debut beneath the Interstate 35 overpass adjacent to Camden Street: