Griner Street: What is Going On? Roadwork Delays and Process Improvements...

Griner Street reconstruction project was left half-finished, but work will reinitiate soon

Griner, Strickland, and Losoya are just a few examples of major street construction project slowdowns which have troubled Del Rio. Citizen complaints are piling up, all with the same question: “What is the delay?” Notoriously, some street improvements have taken years to start, and then once initiated, roadwork may drag out for months longer than expected. Incomplete projects are left untouched for long periods of time, and disrupted residents are left wondering why…

City officials identified certain supply chain issues and procedural stop-gates as the main causes of the repeated delays. Recent reports indicate solutions have been found, approved, and implemented. After piles of paperwork, slow incremental changes, and years-long efforts toward process improvement, the City of Del Rio Streets Department has hit a new milestone. Months, if not years, will now be saved on street construction project timelines moving forward (theoretically).

Prior to this change, roadwork material procurement was getting caught in a loop. By the time the bid was approved, material prices had increased, vendors would back out, and the bid process would begin again. “Hopefully we can get some vendors on the approved lists so that we are able to move forward a lot faster,” Procurement Director Louis Menchaca said.

Instead of asking vendors to lock-in pricing long in advance of construction, now, the city can create an approved vendor list, Menchaca said, “expediting the process.” Menchaca said, "it's always difficult to find people to deliver, so whenever we were brainstorming, we said okay, if we're not able to go through a request for bids because the price fluctuates, let's do it through a request for qualification.”

The City of Del Rio Request for Qualifications RFP R:2025-109-2 is open until July 24, 2025.

During the special City Council budget workshop on July 15, Menchaca explained how the newly approved “RFQ process” solves one of the City Street’s biggest problems. He said the fluctuating market cost of materials, such as for special asphalts and concretes, was his biggest concern. Roadway materials designed to perform well under extreme conditions, such as 115 degree days in Del Rio, are recommended for infrastructure longevity, but are not manufactured locally.

Public Works Director, City Councilperson, and Planning and Zoning Director review proposed budget

Specific "Street Projects" on the docket for the upcoming fiscal years (proposed not yet adopted).

The old bid process was so cumbersome, eventually, most vendors simply stopped submitting. Velazquez said 3 ongoing roadwork projects were all awarded to one vendor. Public Works Director Greg Velazquez said the International Bridge resurfacing, Griner Street and Strickland Street reconstruction, plus work on the detention pond and storm drainage channel were assigned to the same contractor. Known to be Bega Paving, Inc.

Work on the pipes beneath Losoya Street, in preparation for the resurfacing. Photo by The City of Del Rio.

Velazquez explained why the Streets Department budget is proposed to increase for the next several years, while most other departments will face budget cuts. Velazquez said, “it’s all due to staffing, not having enough staff.” Velazquez has been building up the Public Works team and Streets department, investing in new equipment and staff.

Previously, most of the work had to be contracted out, but now with additional heavy machinery and manpower, more projects can be completed “in-house.” Velazquez said, “we're doing reconstruction of the streets, full reconstruction, we are doing it right, it’s not just an overlay, we don’t do that any longer... we don’t believe in just doing mediocre work, we want to have sidewalks, curbs, and gutters…”

Regarding the Griner and Strickland projects, the city stated: “The project's purpose is to improve Griner and Strickland streets by milling and overlaying the roadway within the existing curb limits and adding ADA-compliant sidewalks and ramps on one side of the road. This upgrade will rehabilitate the current pavement and create safer, continuous sidewalks for pedestrians—helping make our city more accessible and walkable for everyone.”

Special City Council meeting on July 15 at City Hall.

The work had been started on Griner, when Bega Paving moved their crew onto the International Bridge project, attempting to keep up with overlapping project deadlines. The city responded to the Griner project delay, Velazquez said, “So currently [Bega Paving] did some milling on Griner… but now he’s jumping to the International Bridge, which should have started this week, but we requested that he continue doing Griner… we don’t want him to stop with one project and start with another.” City Manager Shawna Burkhart said flyers will be going out to all effected residents that "we are returning" to work on Griner.

The city is slowly digging themselves out of a major street construction slow down. Complications in the governmental process regarding access to equipment, materials, and labor have caused issues for years. The city modified streets policies to facilitate ease of access and reduce workflow interruption. With the new changes, the city is looking at significant improvements that potentially could prevent up to years of continued delays.

PHOTOS OF GRINER STREET: