San Antonio Greenlights $643,000 Defense Grant to Revamp Ackerman Road
Published on September 21, 2023
SAN ANTONIO (September 21, 2023) — Today, in response to a Texas National Guard request, the San Antonio City Council approved an ordinance authorizing the acceptance of funds up to $643,000 from the United States Department of Defense’s Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot (DCIP) Program Grant. These funds will be used to reconstruct Ackerman Road between the IH-10 Frontage Road and entrance gate of the Texas Army National Guard’s Martindale Army Heliport. The City is contributing matching funds in the amount of $275,700, which will now be available in the FY 2024 Street Maintenance Program. The DCIP grant will save the City 70% of the total project cost of $919,000.
This section of Ackerman Road experiences a daily high volume of heavy semi-truck traffic and is the single point of access for personnel working at Martindale Army Heliport. The project will replace the current surface with one that will better support the facility’s heavy vehicle load. “We are grateful for the excellent partnership that we have with the City of San Antonio and for their support of this and other critically important projects,” Brigadier General Monie Ulis, Deputy Adjutant General, Army, of the Texas Military Department said.
“This is another tangible example of how Military City USA, responds to military commander needs,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg added. “This project will not only improve the quality of life for the citizen soldiers of the Army National Guard but also for the public who use Ackerman Road.”
DCIP is a Department of Defense (DoD) program administered by the Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) office. $100 million of DCIP funding was made available in FY2023 to the entire DoD. San Antonio was only one of 17 applicants that were approved for funding. The City’s Public Works Department, which will execute the project, and the Military and Veteran Affairs Departments collaborated on the submission of the project.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to leverage DoD funds to deliver a roadway project that benefits both citizens and personnel who perform important military missions at Martindale Army Heliport,” said Public Works Director Razi Hosseini.
Juan Ayala (Maj. Gen., USMC, Ret.), Director of Military and Veteran Affairs said, “This project highlights San Antonio’s commitment to supporting our men and women in uniform and the strong relationship we enjoy with our entire military community. Finally, we are honored to be the first recipient of DCIP funds in the San Antonio area.”