SAN ANTONIO — Texas has long been defined by its willingness to build at scale, but the reconstruction of U.S. 90 on San Antonio’s rapidly expanding West Side signals a shift in how the state thinks about infrastructure—and who gets to shape it. As a piece of this nearly $473 million highway transformation is Jesse Is Heavyweight, a Dallas-born creative whose influence brings culture, technology, and community awareness into a space traditionally dominated by concrete and traffic counts.
The U.S. 90 project, led by the Texas Department of Transportation, spans the corridor between Interstate 410 and State Highway 211, a vital east–west route that carried an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 vehicles per day in 2019. By 2045, that number is expected to double. To meet this demand, TxDOT has planned a two-phase reconstruction that will convert the existing four-lane highway into a six-lane expressway, complete with continuous frontage roads in both directions.
Phase 1 of the project—covering a 3.3-mile stretch from I-410 to Loop 1604—has been awarded to a Texas-based contractor and carries a price tag of $146 million. Construction is expected to be completed by early 2030. Phase 2 will extend the improvements another 4.3 miles to SH 211, with work anticipated to begin as early as 2028 and continue for roughly four years. While funding for Phase 2 is still being finalized, the total buildout is projected to reach nearly half a billion dollars.
What sets this project apart is the presence of Jesse Is Heavyweight as creative designer—a role rarely occupied by someone whose résumé spans fashion design, mobile app engineering, music, and grassroots advocacy. A graduate of both Howard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jesse brings a multidisciplinary approach that reframes infrastructure as a lived experience rather than a purely functional system.
For Jesse, the project represents more than a career milestone—it is a statement about representation and responsibility in public works. Long known for advocating that large-scale developments should reflect the identities and needs of nearby residents, he views infrastructure as an opportunity to embed dignity, intention, and cultural awareness into the physical landscape.
In a state where highways often symbolize speed, expansion, and sprawl, this U.S. 90 reconstruction introduces a different model for Texas infrastructure building, one where creativity and community have a seat at the table. As construction moves forward, the corridor is poised to become more than a wider road. It stands as a blueprint for how Texas can build its future with purpose, inclusion, and vision, guided in no small part by Jesse Is Heavyweight.
Source: RedX Magazine
Nikki Mack, Editor In Chief
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