Model-Based Approach Smooths Twists and Turns of Texas Linear Park Project

San Antonio, Texas, has sprouted up along its waterways, some more attractive than others, and for many years, the San Pedro Creek has had about as much appeal as you would expect from a drainage ditch.

But in 2014, a few years ahead of the city’s 300th anniversary, local officials moved forward with a plan to upgrade the channel from a utilitarian flood control system to a cultural centerpiece for the city. The project would restore water and aquatic habitats to a creek that had been practically dry for 20 years, and preserve some historic walls while introducing an undulating and art-centric design with public spaces and art installations.

In essence, “almost every complicated aspect of a linear project is being rolled into an existing drainage ditch,” said Eric Cylwik, virtual construction engineer at Tucson, Arizona-based Sundt Construction.Not to mention, no 5 feet of the 1.2-mile linear park are alike. “There was no formulaic way we could approach this and say, ‘this is the way we create the channel.’ Every 25 feet, it was understanding what was happening with the design and existing [conditions] and then applying the correct solution to that,” he said.