County partners with city on Cordova Road maintenance

Dalondo Moultrie The Seguin Gazette

Exhibiting a continued partnership, Guadalupe County and Seguin plan to share maintenance duties on land currently owned by both bodies and that soon will receive a facelift.

Both the city and county, which co-own parts of Cordova Road between State Highway 46 and State Highway 123 Bypass are joining forces in a two-year maintenance agreement for the road. Guadalupe County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the agreement on Tuesday during its regular meeting.

The agreement comes after the city and county learned it won approval for an Alamo Area Metropolitan Transit Organization project to improve Cordova Road.

“Given that the Cordova Road Project is scheduled to begin in two to three years, the city and the county agree to assist each other in the use of in-house resources to make any repairs to the road surface that are necessary to maintain travel viability and safety,” the agreement reads.

Seguin and Guadalupe County combined to win approval for a nearly $22.3 million rehab of Cordova Road with AAMPO assistance. The project, expected to begin in 2024 or 2025 will realign the road at SH 46, expand it to four lanes with raised medians and/or center turn lanes, and add shared-use paths.

While waiting for the project to begin and before the road is annexed into the city, the county will help maintain it, according to the agreement.

“It’s going to be a city and county partnership utilizing resources,” Guadalupe County Precinct No. 2 Commissioner Drew Engelke said. “With the transition phase for the 2024 MPO project releasing this to the city, this helps them with their resources.”

Transition of the road to strictly city control was scheduled for 2024, County Judge Kyle Kutscher said. Neither side should have to do much upkeep in the meantime, he said.

“It’s going to be minimal maintenance up until that construction project is underway and the city has agreed to take that,” Kutscher said.

The agreement lasts from Nov. 1, 2021, through Oct. 31, 2023. It may be extended if necessary.

“During the term of this agreement, to the extent that the parties are unable to mow the grass and weeds along the sides of Cordova Road, the parties agree to split the costs of hiring a local farmer or other contractor to perform the mowing maintenance,” the agreement reads. “It is anticipated that mowing of the right-of-way will occur no more than three times in any calendar year.”

Seguin City Council is expected to approve the agreement Nov. 2, Engelke said.

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