Reliably Austin
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Crews Install New 'Menchaca' Road Signs

Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon
/
KUT
The city is replacing 143 street signs that say "Manchaca" with signs that say "Menchaca." The approximate $23,000 cost will be paid for by the group that petitioned the city for the change.

City of Austin workers began changing street signs Wednesday on the road commonly pronounced "MAN-chack." The new signs say "Menchaca" instead of "Manchaca." (The second letter is an E instead of an A.)

The Austin City Council voted last year to change the road name to reflect the accurate spelling of Tejano revolutionary José Antonio Menchaca, who fought in a decisive battle of the Texas Revolution.

A lawsuit to stop the name change failed when State District Judge Dustin Howell found he didn't have jurisdiction to rule on the case. 

The city said it finished changing 143 signs along the road Wednesday afternoon. The group that proposed the name change, Justice for Menchaca, is paying for the $23,074 cost.

TxDOT signs on state roadways with the spelling "Manchaca" will be changed when they wear out.

"Replacing them as part of routine maintenance/replacement schedules means no additional costs will be incurred," Mary Vo, spokesperson for the city's transportation department, said in an email. "This process is consistent with previous street name changes."

This post has been updated. 

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.
Related Content