San Antonio Selected for $4.8 Million Grant to Improve Rittiman Road

Published on June 09, 2023

SAN ANTONIO (June 9, 2023) - The City of San Antonio has been selected for an award of $4.8 million in federal grant funding for the design and environmental review for an overpass to eliminate a Union Pacific railroad crossing at Rittiman Road and Gibbs Sprawl Road. The grant award was announced Monday, June 5, by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

The City of San Antonio applied for the grant in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation. USDOT awarded $570 million nationwide on Monday as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and San Antonio was one of five Texas cities to receive grant funding.

An estimated 52,000 residents, 22,700 employees, and 3,400 students live, work, and go to school within two miles of this railroad crossing. Rittiman Road is an important west-east arterial roadway providing a connection to Joint Base San Antonio, H-E-B Grocery Distribution Headquarters, and other destinations. This project is estimated to eliminate traffic congestion at the railroad crossing by as much as 40 percent during peak periods in the future.

San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh: "The City is always working to reduce traffic and ease commute times for residents. This grant money will spark the construction of an overpass at a major railroad crossing to do just that. We are aggressively pursuing opportunities to draw down federal funding to leverage our local investments. With this grant, we've now secured more than $75 million for San Antonio from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other programs."

City of San Antonio Public Works Department Director Razi Hosseini: "The City of San Antonio continually seeks to address problematic railroad crossings. This funding for the design phase is a significant step in the process. It will help the Public Works Department move forward with the project and begin to identify funding for construction. This railroad crossing impacts many residents and businesses, including Union Pacific. We are excited to make progress towards a solution."

TxDOT Rail Division Director Jeff Davis: "TxDOT and the Texas Freight Advisory Committee identified this crossing as a top grade-separation priority for safety and mobility in the state. We're excited about the award and will continue to use available state resources to bring the project to completion."

Union Pacific's Senior Director of Public Affairs Raquel Espinoza: "Union Pacific is pleased this grant will ultimately eliminate a railroad crossing in San Antonio, reducing risk for drivers and pedestrians, while allowing us to continue moving the goods Americans rely on. We look forward to working with the City of San Antonio on the design and are proud to offer our support on the project."