SAN ANTONIO — Residents in one San Antonio neighborhood say a city project is causing a flood of problems. People who live on Westbriar at West Military Drive tell KENS 5 their block is unsafe.
The road, sidewalk and parts of the driveways are all torn up. Residents like Joseph Wilson said they're having a hard time driving out there and are getting stuck.
"It is a mud blizzard," he said. A complete soupy horrible mess. You have to plan on when to get out of the house because you might have one shot to get out before you get stuck. On Thanksgiving, I woke up to beeping noises and thought they were here working. There were tow trucks on the street pulling people out."
There is no road on Westbriar. It is part of a city drainage project that is taking up the road and West Military Drive.
"A lot of people here don't know what to do," he said.
Wilson, who is a contractor, said the headaches really came when crews tore up the sidewalks and driveways. They only left a mountain of debris behind. He said some of his elderly neighbors couldn't go anywhere because they couldn't get out.
"We understand this is going to be like this for a while. But this is only a 6-foot or 8-foot-wide piece to fix to keep us in and out," he said. This part doesn't bother us it is the fact that we have to get in and out."
After he called the city to complain, crews came to fill his driveway with gravel. But Wilson said they didn't compact it well enough.
"I could throw a five-gallon bucket of water right there and your feet would just sink in," Wilson said.
But, it is better than other neighbors who still don't have anything in their driveway.
"I just want somebody to take responsibility," he said.
The city told KENS 5 the project began in the first quarter of 2021 and that there have been several delays due to weather. The city said during the Thanksgiving holiday flood pipes were installed, but because of rain more delays were created. A spokesperson said the project is expected to be completed by February 2022.