A long-awaited and much-needed bridge along Via Vera Cruz over the San Marcos Creek finally opened Wednesday. The stretch between Discovery Street and San Marcos Boulevard is a highlight of the roughly $100 million San Marcos Creek Project, which started about three years ago.
“It is beautiful. It is beautiful,” gushed Nancy Emory.
Emory and her friend Rose Prestininzi live in a neighborhood on the south side of the creek. Before construction, they would be blocked from leaving their neighborhood anytime the creek flooded in a rainstorm. Then construction made life a little difficult getting around for three years.
“Quite a while. Quite a while,” sighed Emory.
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Wednesday made up for it.
“It will make our area better,” said Prestininzi.
The end of construction was delayed several months by the weather. Via Vera Cruz was supposed to be open by the end of the summer. Instead, everything was pushed back to the end of the year. Construction included a bridge on Bent Street over the creek, a wider Discovery Street, and 70 acres of open space and a park in the middle of it all.
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Business owners said they suffered considerably during construction, which cut them off from thousands of customers on the other side of the creek. Several owners were seen taking pictures and smiling when Via Vera Cruz opened Wednesday.
“It was kind of exciting to see the change,” said Emory.
The biggest change is a levy that surrounds the creek to prevent Emory and Prestininzi’s neighborhood from flooding.
“I like it. I mean, it looks good and once they get the area across the street all done, it’s going to be very nice,” said Prestininzi while pointing at the future park area.
The park is expected to be completed early next year.
