They'll have the exit reopened in time for the Monday morning commute.
With that major piece of information out of the way, let's take a look at what's happening along I-10 otherwise....
I-10 Boerne Stage Road
This project will convert the frontage roads between Boerne Stage Road and Dominion Drive to one-way. Part of this involves constructing a new frontage road leading up to Boerne Stage on the westbound side, leaving the road through Leon Springs to be a city street for business access.
Just about anyone driving through the area can tell what our focus is at the moment: we're building that new segment of frontage road. It runs straight through the old park-and-ride lot and includes a new west-to-east turnaround at Boerne Stage. Texas Sterling Construction is working hard on these items - as well as some work on Boerne Stage Road itself under I-10 - as other items progress.
We're building a new park-and-ride lot along the westbound frontage road about halfway between Boerne Stage Road and Ralph Fair Road. Texas Sterling says it will be finished and ready for use by mid-May.
What can't be easily seen is the struggle we're having to get some utilities cleared of our work. One of the private utilities in particular seems to be in our way, and we're doing what we can to get that utility company on site to move their lines as appropriate. Once those are out of the way, the already heavy work at the intersection of I-10 and Boerne Stage Road will intensify. Between now and then, expect to see other utilities moved around - including gas lines and water lines. Most of that work is already done, but we do have gas lines about to be moved through the month of May.
Another area of focus is a new east-to-west turnaround at Dominion Drive. Subcontractors are beginning the preparation work to expand the frontage road to accommodate the turnaround. This may require closing some sidewalk access (particularly under I-10) while crews get going. The good news for folks who live or work or play in the area is the expansion is all on the inside of the frontage roads - that is, in the area between the frontage roads and the main lanes. We are told the impact to the properties near this intersection will be extremely minimal.
As for work requiring closures, the biggest thing coming up is next week (currently scheduled for the night of May 6) as the electrical subcontractor works on the traffic signals at Boerne Stage Road and the I-10 frontage roads. While most of that work will be limited to the intersection right there at Boerne Stage, Texas Sterling will also have some work along the frontage road on the westbound side of the highway that night. The frontage road on the westbound side of I-10 will completely close the night of May 6 between Dominion and the Boerne Stage Road exit ramp while crews put drain structures across the road. Traffic will use the two-way frontage road on the eastbound side of the highway.
The signal work should only take a single night and the impact should be minimal. Once that work is done, signals will be on temporary (wood) signal poles hanging from wires. The permanent signals will be built when we get near the completion of the project mid-2016.
The drain structure work could require several nights, so expect to see that full closure of the frontage road repeated nightly for several nights.
I-10 Huebner
To answer the question on everyone's minds, right out of the gate: the turnarounds at DeZavala Road will be in use - daytime only - by the end of the week. That's what the good folks with Webber Construction are telling us. Overnight they'll need to close the turnarounds for work still, but they'll have them open for daytime traffic.
The new east-to-west turnaround at UTSA Boulevard will be ready and open by mid-May.
Beyond those items, Webber's primary focus is getting the road resurfaced. Nightly closures on the main lanes and on the frontage road - and the weekend closure of the DeZavala ramp mentioned above - will facilitate this. When everything is done, the road will be MUCH smoother than it is now, and we'll have all the striping blackout gone with nice, clear pavement striping through the whole project.
But that work is only really happening overnight.
Durinng the days Webber has crews working on the minor items - concrete work, railing and barriers, painting, sign installation ... mostly busywork the bulk of us driving through the work zone wouldn't notice without keeping a sharp eye out. More noticeably, you'll see some dirt work and grass being laid in the median area where required.
Webber says they are on pace to finish the project and be totally off the job by mid-summer.