Sundt is also closing Ralph Fair Road between Old Fredericksburg Road and I-10.
The closures will allow Sundt to set nine bridge support beams - each one 165 feet long - that will make up the backbone of a new section of the Ralph Fair Road overpass. Sundt is half a year into a year-and-a-half project to rebuild the overpass, expanding the bridge in the process.
Those beams will leave the fabrication plant at 7 a.m. (they are required to wait for daybreak to begin their trip) and use Loop 1604, U.S. Hwy 281, Texas Highway 46 and FM 3351 to reach the work zone. Job bosses are expecting the trip to take about an hour and a half - about as long as it will take traffic crews to shut down the road. Bridge crews hope to start setting the first beam around 9 a.m.
Those driving along the haul route - Lp 1604, U.S. 281, Hwy 46 and FM 3351 - during the morning hours may experience some delay. All trucks should be clear of the route and at the project site by noon.
Bridge crews will be setting beams through the day. Project bosses expect to finish up work by Sunday morning, but may need more time (more on that below). At the latest, main lanes will reopen by Monday morning at 5 a.m. During that time, motorists are encouraged to try alternate routes (such as U.S. Hwy 281 and Hwy 46 to get from Boerne to San Antonio) or plan for about an extra hour to their travel plans. To be completely blunt, we expect westbound traffic to back up well beyond Lp 1604 and eastbound traffic to back up to Boerne.
Thursday-Friday
As part of the prep work for the weekend, crews will begin setting up the crane in the area. Those local drivers on the frontage roads will see temporary and occasional delays with police officers stopping traffic as needed.
For those who are visual, here's another look at the work zone and the closure area:
For local businesses:
Obviously, access through the weekend will be tough. While some have access from Old Fredericksburg Road, others will have one-way access only. Clients and guests should plan on extra time to reach the destination.
Weather pending
This weekend carries a strong chance of rain in the forecast. While that may not dramatically impact the work itself, rain can slick up the roadway and make the area less safe for traffic and guys working on the project. Friday the powers that be will take one final look at the weather and make any final decisions. If anything changes, we will send notices by midday Friday.
Remember: this is the first of seven similar closures over the next 10 months.