Mission accomplished: River park finally done

Final stages of completion on the eight-mile Mission Reach of the San Antonio River on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013. Final stages of completion on the eight-mile Mission Reach of the San Antonio River on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013. Photo: Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News Photo: Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Mission accomplished: River park finally done 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

Five years in the making and delayed by a historic flood, the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River is about to make its debut as a finished park.

Festivities are planned Saturday at several points along the eight-mile linear park, the nation's largest urban river ecosystem restoration project.

Besides park amenities including picnic areas, the Mission Reach offers miles of concrete-covered paths that connect to the downtown River Walk and the river's Museum Reach north of downtown.

The Mission Reach extends from Lone Star Boulevard to south of Loop 410, but opening-day events are concentrated on the lower half of the project, from VFW Boulevard to near Mission Espada.

Opening ceremonies will be at Padre Park from 10 a.m. to noon, featuring County Judge Nelson Wolff and U.S. Reps. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, and Pete Gallego, D-Alpine. Wolff was a lead proponent of the project. Three of the city's historic missions are in Doggett's district, and one is in Gallego's.

On hand will be members of Commissioners Court and the City Council, leaders of the San Antonio River Authority, and representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees river projects. Also participating will be representatives of the San Antonio River Foundation and the San Antonio River Oversight Committee.

The celebration, originally slated for mid-August, was postponed because of extensive structural and landscaping damage from the record-setting May 25 flood.

Work on the project began in 2008, and segments opened in three phases. Last week, only about a mile of the project remained off-limits to the public as workers added the final touches.

Although construction has wrapped up on the park's infrastructure, years of work remain on installation of native trees and grasses. Work also continues on riffles that enable canoes and kayaks to navigate the river's elevation changes.

The Padre Park ceremonies will be followed by live music until 4 p.m. Three other sites are slated to have entertainment — Mission Park Pavilions from 3 to 8 p.m.; Acequia Park from noon to 4 p.m.; and Mission San Juan from noon to 4 p.m.

But if the federal government is shut down Tuesday as threatened, the event at Mission San Juan would not be held because it's on National Park Service land, which would be closed.

Food trucks will be operating at Mission Park Pavilions, Acequia Park and Padre Park, and information stations will be operated by various groups at several locations.

jgonzalez@express-news.net

Twitter: @johnwgonzalez