Entrance to Morningstar Boardwalk commemorating Staff Sgt. Christopher Morningstar

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The Salado Creek Greenway Central project, a four-mile segment from McAllister Park to Loop 410, is the seventh segment to be completed using $3.4 million funding from the propositions. The project began in Jul. 2009.

“This is part of a larger initiative by the City to do these hike and bike trails along the creeks,” said Brandon Ross, City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department. Ross is the special projects manager for all the greenway projects – Salado Creek, Medina River and Leon Creek greenways.

Journeyman Construction is the general contractor for the project, along with two additional trail projects that both began earlier this year, Salado Creek Greenway, Phase 1 and Leon Creek Greenway.

Founded in 1996 by owner, Sam Kumar, Journeyman Construction is a full service construction company with projects covering K-12, higher education, government, municipal, correctional, institutional, as well as commercial office and retail facilities.

  The company is headquartered in Austin with branch offices in San Antonio, Dallas, McAllen and Corpus Christi.

The project team for Journeyman consisted of Andrew Waterman, project manager, and project superintendents Carl Jarka and Danny Lopez. The architect was Albert Fernandez, CFZ Group.

Key subcontractors working with Journeyman on the various creekway projects include: Civil Dynamics, Urban Concrete Contractors, SiteWorks Construction, Pro-Line Pavement Maintenance, Wheeler Coatings Asphalt, Unico Steel, and Cold Fire Signs.

Materials used on the project consisted of base asphalt, concrete and steel. However, the boardwalk used a unique product that was custom ordered – Trimax decking by Renew Plastics.   

The reason for this specialty product was due to the three-quarter mile long boardwalk that was constructed through the wetlands. The material is a structural composite decking made from recycled milk bottles and laundry detergent bottles. Helicals piers were also used in the boardwalk construction.

Waterman stated there were a few challenges inherent in the construction of the project. The trail went along restaurant property, across numerous water-filled creek crossings, underneath a railroad crossing that required a one-piece protective canopy for hikers, through the San Antonio airport property, across another major road, and then tied into another park.

If that were not enough, the project was built within a watershed. The project required federal wetland permit approvals.

When the rainy season started in Oct. 2009, the boardwalk would be underwater. “If it rained one-half inch in the morning, by the afternoon there would be seven to eight feet of water in the wetland,” stated Waterman. “We would be on standby until the water would subside.“

As for the amenities of the project, specialty signage was installed and the creek crossings have some decorative concrete work that blends in with the natural creekway environment.

There is one special artistic touch that appears on both sides of the boardwalk – a red, white, and blue mosaic tile ribbon connecting to a star.

The boardwalk is dedicated to the memory of Staff Sgt. Christopher Morningstar, a San Antonio resident, who was killed in Iraq. The boardwalk is named Morningstar Boardwalk. There is a sign placed next to the mosaic with Morningstar’s picture.

Ross stated, “The trail came out great. Journeyman was great to work with, too.”

That’s good news for the citizens of San Antonio who approved the initiative. Now San Antonio can boast of one more item in its long list of attractions – a multi-use, non-motorized trail for all to enjoy.  –dn

Photos by Ross Kliesing, K Tech Digital

©2010 Construction News, Ltd.