In March 2020, the City of San Marcos broke ground on the $104 million San Marcos Creek Project, the largest Capital Improvement Project (CIP) in its history. Over four years, this transformative effort raised roadways and bridges to alleviate flooding, restored more than 70 acres of habitat, improved mobility with new bike lanes and sidewalks, and created recreational spaces like a 1.2-mile walking trail. Despite the scale of the project, strong community engagement and strategic communication resulted in 85% positive or neutral feedback. This session will provide a strategic look at how the team navigated complex challenges, secured leadership buy-in for comprehensive outreach, and developed a communications plan aligned with construction goals to keep the project on track, despite a number of unplanned curveballs. Attendees will learn techniques for distilling complicated information into accessible updates, fostering trust through proactive engagement and establishing a replicable model for future large-scale projects. The session also features an interactive “Wheel of Disaster” exercise, where participants brainstorm adaptive communication responses to real-world project complications, such as delays or budget overruns. Join us to explore replicable communication techniques that keep communities informed, engaged and supportive during large-scale projects.