Wednesday, August 30

Your chance to speak up: Wurzbach at NW Military, Lockhill-Selma

When the Wurzbach Parkway extension finished and the eastern and western halves were connected in 2015 residents near the west end of the extension expressed concerns of traffic volumes through the intersections of Northwest Military, Lockhill-Selma and beyond.
Then-Councilman Ron Nirenberg worked quickly to partner with TxDOT to study options to enhance traffic flow from Northwest Military and I-10.
Some of those options have been determined and we want to talk about them with you. That means this is your chance to let us know what you think. That chance is tonight between 6 and 8 at the Barshop Jewish Community Center Auditorium. Here are the details:
Who: Anyone and everyone with an interest in how the intersections of Wurzbach Parkway and Northwest Military or Lockhill-Selma turn out
What: Open house with design engineers and project planners
When: Wednesday, August 30 between 6 and 8 p.m.
Where: Barshop Jewish Community Center Auditorium, 12500 NW Military Drive, San Antonio, TX 78231
Why: Because you really really want to let us know what you think of our plans

Remember the big discussion will be about what we're going to end up doing at these major intersections (including options for an overpass), so you won't want to miss this discussion. Be sure you come out and see us!

Tuesday, August 29

Mail Bag: Hwy 151 and I-410

So ... it's been a while since our last discussion about the new direct connectors being constructed at the intersection of Hwy 151 and I-410. We've even had a few questions pop in:

Whatever happened at 410 and 151? As a layman it looks to me there were some miscalculations. Nothing has happened with the flyover for months
- Ursula
151 and 410 flyover work has stopped ... why?
- John
While work on the middle of the direct connectors
has paused, the overall project progresses rapidly.
Ursula isn't too far off the truth. We actually did have some miscalculations in the design of the steel bridge support beams making the curved spans of these direct connectors. The mistake was caught when the beams started being fabricated and we had to have those re-made. We are hoping to have those ready for installation by February.
Two major takeaways for folks concerned about this issue revolve around accountability and project progress.
We are reviewing our processes to ensure this kind of situation doesn't crop up again and doing what we can to hold responsible parties accountable. We already have several layers of review for each of our projects - but those can be improved. That's what we're working on already.
Despite the design setback the project hasn't slowed. Williams Brothers Construction has worked out of sequence across the project to complete other tasks and continue the project. The initial plan was to get everything done on the eastbound Hwy 151 to northbound I-410 side finished before turning around to come back. In order to keep bridge crews busy WB went to work on that southbound I-410 side while churning away on the northbound side. The whole project sequence has been blended around and worked to keep things on track. The end result is keeping the project on a schedule to wrap up by fall 2018.

Whoa! Hey! Tossing a fast one on us... what's up with that northbound Culebra exit closure suddenly jumping from August 31 to October 31? Spooky Halloween treats early??
- Red
First of all, thank you for proving to us folks actually pay attention to our lane closure posts - in detail, no less! Seriously, simply for that reason this question made our communications team's whole week.
When we initially closed this ramp we discussed a timeframe of about six months - which means the ramp would have opened up around April or May. Since then Williams Brothers has refocused on some work items on the southbound side of I-410 as they allocate resources across the project. Honestly it boils down to a business decision WB is allowed to make within the limitations of the contract, and that's what happened here.
When we got closer to that April-May timeframe we moved the closure duration to August 31. Two weeks ago we asked our field staff how likely holding to that schedule would be and got the October 31 answer. They say this is very realistic considering the current progress of the project. We've also started pushing to get this ramp reopened (which will happen as soon as all the overhead bridge work is complete) to restore access to those businesses on Culebra who have been so patient with this project to date.
Honestly, a design issue on the southbound side has re-directed WB's resources to this northbound exit to Culebra.

Please advise the status of the westbound frontage for 151, particularly from the Ingram/Portranco exit to the light at Ingram. When do you expect the 3rd lane to reopen and the turnaround lanes to be completed.
- Lonnie
Williams Brothers is still working on the retaining walls in this area and we hope to have things wrapped up early fall. Once we are able to reopen that Hunt Lane exit (again, this fall) we'll have that auxiliary lane reopened. That should help things out a bit for those commuting through the area with regularity.

Monday, August 28

Back to school brings new safety challenges

Most families in the San Antonio area are sending kiddos to back to school today. And, if you're in an area of growth (like the northwest region of San Antonio or Bexar County) it may also be the first day of school for the actual school.
Back to School week always means an increase in traffic - on the roads and on crosswalks. The San Antonio region saw 15 crashes in school zones during 2015 and 683 such crashes state-wide. Most of those crashes were due to driver inattention or speeding.
We do all we can to create a safe route to school zones - on our system or not. We partner with municipalities to develop safe routes and manage traffic. What we cannot do, however, is take the wheel of those doing the actual driving to ensure safety. Since you're the one behind the wheel out there, please keep these major tips in mind:
  • Remain alert - school zones are constantly changing with unpredictable kids (and parents driving them)
  • Put away your cell phone - use of a cell phone is banned in active school zones to start with, and you really shouldn't be using your cell phone while driving anyway (no matter what)
  • Slow down and obey school zone speed limit signs (traffic fines are double in school zones, which are often heavily patrolled by law enforcement)
  • Drop off and pick up children in designated areas only
  • Pay close attention to kids gathered at bus stops and be alert for those who might dart across the street or between vehicles
If you're a pedestrian, you need to pay attention to a few things as well:
  • If walking kids to school, always cross at intersections and designated crosswalks
  • Always walk on sidewalks and obey crossing guards
  • Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street - never assume a driver sees you
  • Wear a helmet when riding bicycles and follow traffic rules
  • Whether driving, walking or riding a bike put the dang phone away and pay close attention to what's happening around you
Don't forget those buses:
  • Drivers must stop for flashing red lights on a school bus, regardless of the direction you're driving
  • Only continue your trip once the stop lights are turned off or the driver motions you to continue
  • Remember passing a school bus when you shouldn't carries a $1,000 fine
The bottom line: just be cool around the school traffic. Be patient and you'll reach your destination just fine.

Saturday, August 26

Next week's construction-related closures

(These closures are tentative pending weather ... but should be planned on just in case.)
I-10 – Fair Oaks Ranch
  • Friday, September 8 at 9 p.m. until Monday, September 11 at 5 a.m. Main lanes, both directions, at Fair Oaks Parkway. All lanes will close while crews demolish the old overpass bridge. Traffic will exit Fair Oaks Parkway, continue along the frontage road and re-enter the highway.
I-35 – East San Antonio
  • Current until Monday, September 11. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between George Beach and Thousand Oaks Drive. Alternating lanes will close while crews work on the center median.
  • Friday, September 8 at 9 p.m. until Monday, September 11 at 5 a.m. Main lanes, both directions, at New Braunfels Avenue. All lanes will close while crews demolish the old bridge deck overhead. Traffic will exit New Braunfels Avenue, continue along the frontage road and re-enter the highway at the first available ramp.
I-35 – South San Antonio
  • Current until Thursday, August 31. 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. Northbound frontage road at Indian Creek. The right lane will close while crews repair guardrail.
I-410 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Thursday, August 31. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Frontage roads, both directions, between US 90 and Hwy 151. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
  • Current until Friday, September 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly, Sunday nights through Thursday nights as needed only. Northbound main lanes between Marbach Road and Military Drive. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will exit Hwy 151, continue along the frontage road and enter the highway at the next available ramp. Officers will control traffic at intersections. This closure will not be employed simultaneously with the northbound frontage road closure.
  • Current until Friday, September 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly, Sunday nights through Thursday nights as needed only. Northbound frontage road between Marbach Road and Military Drive. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will use eastbound Hwy 151 and Military Drive to reach its destination. Officers will control traffic at intersections as needed. This closure will not be employed simultaneously with the northbound main lanes closure.
  • Current until Tuesday, September 5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound frontage road between Hwy 151 and Military Drive. The left lane will close while crews do bridge work.
  • Current until Tuesday, September 5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Hwy 151 and Military Drive. The right lanes will close while crews do bridge work.
  • Current until Friday, September 8. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Culebra and Ingram roads. The left two lanes will close while crews build overhead highway sign supports.
  • Current until Tuesday, October 31. Northbound exit to Culebra Road. The exit will close while crews widen the main lanes and frontage road. Traffic will exit Ingram Road, turn around and get to Culebra on the southbound frontage road.
U.S. Hwy 281 – North San Antonio
  • Monday-Friday, August 28-September 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes at Sonterra Road. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Monday, August 28 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, August 29 at 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes between Encino Rio and Evans Road. The right turn lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Tuesday, August 29 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, August 30 at 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes between Encino Commons and Stone Oak Parkway. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Wednesday, August 30 at 9 p.m. until Thursday, August 31 at 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes between Stone Oak Parkway and Marshall Road. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Tuesday, September 5 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 6 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Sonterra Road and Loop 1604. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Wednesday-Friday, September 6-8. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound frontage road at Sonterra Road. The left lane will close while crews set barrier.
U.S. Hwy 281 – Near North San Antonio
  • Monday-Friday, August 21-25. 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Tuleta Drive and Olmos Basin. The left lanes will close while crews do bridge work.
Hwy 151 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, September 29. Westbound exit ramp to Hunt Lane. The exit will close while crews work on retaining walls. Traffic will exit Ingram Road and follow the frontage road to reach its destination.
  • Current until Sunday, August 27. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound frontage road between Military Drive and Ingram road. All lanes will close while crews do bridge work. Traffic will follow the posted detour route.
  • Wednesday, August 23 at 9 p.m. until Thursday, August 24 at 5 a.m. Westbound main lanes between Potranco Road and Military Drive. All lanes will close while crews do road work. Traffic will exit Ingram Road, continue along the frontage road and re-enter the highway at the next available ramp.
Loop 1604 – North San Antonio
  • Thursday, August 31 at 9 p.m. until Friday, September 1 at 5 a.m. Eastbound main lanes between US 281 and Gold Canyon. The right lane will close while crews set barrier. This closure includes the Gold Canyon exit ramp. Traffic will exit US 281 and continue along the frontage road to reach its destination.
Other roads – Seguin
  • Current until Thursday, August 31. Austin Street between Martindale and Seidman. The road will be converted to one-way only, moving southbound only, while crews do road work. Northbound traffic will use Guadalupe Street to reach its destination.
Other roads – Kerrville
  • Current until Friday, September 1. 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Hwy 27, both directions, between Hwy 16 (Sidney Baker) and RM 783 (Harper Road). Alternating lanes will close while crews do full-depth road repairs. Off-duty police will manage traffic at intersections.
Other roads – Boerne
  • Sunday-Tuesday, August 27-29. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Hwy 46, both directions, between Ammann Road and Rust Lane. Alternating lanes will close while crews resurface the road.
  • Tuesday-Thursday, August 29-31. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Hwy 46, both directions, between Ammann Road and Rust Lane. Alternating lanes will close while crews resurface the road.
Other roads – Fair Oaks Ranch
  • Friday, September 8 at 9 p.m. until Monday, September 11 at 5 a.m. Fair Oaks Parkway, both directions, at I-10. All lanes will close while crews demolish the old bridge. Traffic will follow posted detour routes to reach its destination.
Other roads – East San Antonio
  • Friday, September 8 at 9 p.m. until Monday, September 11 at 5 a.m. New Braunfels Avenue, both directions, at I-35. All lanes will close while crews demolish the old bridge deck. Traffic will turn right onto the I-35 frontage road and turn around at the next intersection to reach its destination.
Other roads – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, September 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Potranco Road, both directions, at Hwy 151. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the Hwy 151 frontage road and use the next available turnaround to reach its destination.
  • Current until Friday, September 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Hunt Lane, both directions, at Hwy 151. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the Hwy 151 frontage road and use the next available turnaround to reach its destination.
  • Tuesday, August 28 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, August 29 at 5 a.m. Potranco Road, both directions, west of Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews install drain structures. Traffic will use Military Drive and West Grosenbacher to reach its destination.
All closures are pending weather.

Wednesday, August 23

Mail bag: I-35 SAMMC, Loop 1604 expansion, project starts

I just wanted to write in to thank you all for the new northbound 35 Rittiman exit. I think this new configuration is profoundly changing lives because of the new configuration. All of the inconsiderate jockeying that used to occur within the short confines of the old exit is now gone. No longer will traffic back up onto the highway, thus slowing down 35N, and everyone can choose their desired lanes far in advance of the intersection. I can't wait to see those auxiliary lanes finished to clear up the 410/35N bottleneck. Hats off to TxDOT and Lane Construction.
- Marshall

Thanks, Marshall! We have passed along the kudos to our field staff. They rarely get to hear kind words like these, and it means quite a lot to them! Since you wrote in, of course, we finished up those northbound I-410 lanes to northbound I-35 and are glad to see the positive impacts already being felt. We are on pace to knock the entire project out by the end of 2017.

I am curious on the start date of the I-10 expansion from 1604 to Ralph Fair. Your last update on this project said it would start Aug-Sept of this year. Is it still on schedule to start that soon?
- Robert

We are working on a full post for this project's kickoff ... so let's consider this your spoiler. (That means you shouldn't read the rest of this sentence unless you really want to know....) Our official start date is slated for September 5. We are planning a ceremonial groundbreaking the following week. More details are coming.

I have traveled between I-35 and 1604 daily for 10 years. I watch in dismay every time more land is cleared to build another building or apartment complex that will add additional cars on 1604. Have you ever considered adding a new lane by restriping the road? We don't need a shoulder on both sides, and by restriping you could add an another lane (even over bridges). I've studied it for years. The 281 cluster is miserable going eastbound.
- Linda

You know, our communications folks thought the same thing when they started working and had a very similar conversation with our engineers when first hired. We all wish the solve would be so simple.
Let's first address the need for those shoulders on both sides. Shoulders are a safety feature on expressways and are placed on both sides of a highway where possible. Without these shoulders speed limits could be reduced per our speed limits standards. Shoulders also provide a shelter for cars with mechanical troubles or that have been involved in a traffic collision. It's true we don't have dual shoulders lining each expressway, but that is certainly the standard we aspire to. We are not interested in eliminating that safety feature where it's firmly established.
Even if we could restripe the road to add the lane we would still need the clearance through the Federal Highway Administration. This approval is often referred to as environmental clearance. Our needs on Loop 1604 are way beyond what a simple restriping would provide anyway - and that's why the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization has the expansion of this heavily trafficked road on our statewide Unified Transportation Program. Any time a road is at 130 percent capacity right now we need to make an adjustment. The bottom line, Linda, is we are working hard at making the needed improvements. The proposed project will cost about $550 million to make happen. After all, if we're going to do it we want to make sure it's done right the first time.

What is the current status and upcoming schedule for the reconstruction of the bridge over I-35 at 1103 in Schertz? Local taxpayers helped fund this back in 2014 and 2015 and I would like to see that work actually begin.
- Jeff

Jeff asked this question just before we posted our announcement of the project starting a couple of weeks ago. Others should take a look at the post to see we will start September 5.

I have only lived here 3 years but found that many times there are signs saying "lane closed ahead", I move to the open lane and then find that the "closed" lane really isn't. If the lane isn't closed why can't the construction people cover the sign or lay it down or pick it up...whatever. I'm finding the signs hard to believe as I'm sure other people don't believe them either.
- Sharon

We're sorry to hear of your experience, Sharon. We work hard to ensure such signs, when not in use, are picked up from state-maintained highways. We also work with our agency partners who also do road work, like the city of San Antonio and a variety of utility companies, to make sure they are reaching for the same standard.

Thank you for the informative post on the Cibolo Parkway project. One line caught my attention: "What we have in mind is a $25 million expansion that will make FM 1103 a four-lane road with center medians, sidewalks and shoulders allowing for safe bike riding." Does this imply that there will not be official bike lanes on FM 1103?
That is not what was understood from public information meetings, etc. This is an important bike thoroughfare that connects many residential neighborhoods to businesses and schools. It is used even in its current configuration (albeit risky) by bicyclists young and old. I know Schertz would even prefer to see a multi-use path along FM 1103 according to its Master Thoroughfare Plan. Just hoping to clarify that we will indeed see bike lanes on FM 1103! Thanks.
- John

We agree with you about the importance of including bike lanes in our capital improvement projects. It's our policy to include accommodations for such facilities. That's most often done by including widened shoulders - typically four or more feet wide - that serve bicycle traffic safely as well. The primary purpose of these lanes is, indeed, for bike traffic.

Can you provide the details of the traffic switch that is being advertised on the 13th of August, for FM471 between Old FM471 & 1560.
- Benjamin
Regarding the construction along 471 aka Culebra: how long will the entrance to Stillwater Ranch be closed? Hoping to see it open before school starts. Thanks!
- Terri

We do not have information on this project. It is being overseen by Bexar County Public Works

Tuesday, August 22

Mail Bag: Accommodations around Harlan High School

Those living on the far northwest side will see another new high school opened by Northside ISD next week. It's the third such school to open in the last decade by the state's fourth-largest school district - another indication of the rapid growth in the area.
Image from Northside ISD
When Harlan High School opens traffic volumes will certainly surge and some new elements will be introduced. We actually sat down with folks from NISD, Harland High School and Bexar County last month to discuss a host of issues we are already expecting. With that meeting in mind - and the below question - let's discuss what you can expect.

Will you be adding a light or crosswalk on West FM 471 in front of the new Harlan High School opening this year? I've already seen many children running back and forth across this street that is filled with large trucks from the quarry down the street.
- Christine


The big picture
The first thing - and most important thing - we want people to know is we have a traffic signal study planned at the intersection of FM 471 and Cheyenne Pass in September to determine the actual, data-driven need for a signal at this location to accommodate both traffic coming out of the subdivision and the pedestrian traffic you've already started to observe. You can read more about how that warrant study works in a previous post we had about how we determine when and where to install traffic signals.
Right now we actually do not want anyone crossing FM 471 near Harlan High School - we do not have any pedestrian protections and crossing FM 471 at this location is extremely dangerous. Northside ISD will provide buses for students in that community to cut down the potential of kids trying to dart across in front of the heavy trucks cruising through there. We are installing signs to discourage the practice and will rely on law enforcement to keep kids from ignoring these signs.
To recap, here is what we are doing (and what we are not doing):
  • We are conducting a traffic signal and pedestrian study in September, once traffic around the school normalizes
  • We are working with Northside ISD to post signs prohibiting pedestrian traffic along FM 471 near Harland High School
  • We are posting signs with flashing yellow beacons on FM 471 around the high school to encourage drivers to slow down
  • We are not ignoring the issue or unaware
  • We are not taking the issue lightly, and are thus working closely with school administration and county staff to ensure we're seeing things from all angles

Future pedestrian accommodations
When the county's work on FM 471 is finished (it extends to Old FM 471 - just shy Harlan High School) bike lanes and sidewalks will help pedestrian students get almost all the way to campus. We already have a project on the books to address the issue further and will continue what the county is doing for us all the way out to the Bexar-Medina county line. That project is scheduled to get going in 2021, but we are looking at options to accelerate that plan.

We need traffic signals
As we said before we have a process to determine when and where to install signals. This process is pretty well set in stone and we can't deviate from it. If we do find a location warranting a signal we will begin the process to make that happen. In case people are wondering a typical signalized intersection comes with a $250K price tag. That doesn't keep us from putting in a signal where it's warranted, but it does mean we take greater care to ensure actual need. We've also found installing signals where they're not actually warranted creates congestion and safety problems we want to avoid.
As for the pedestrian need, those warrant standards actually tell us to construct a pedestrian bridge and exercise every other available option before installing a signal to manage a crosswalk. We are following that directive by working with the school district to ensure kids don't have the need to walk across the busy road.

The big takeaway
If you're a resident of the area and do not have a student at Harlan, please realize students will be coming and going from about 6:30 a.m. until after 6 p.m. Extracurricular activities run both before and after normal school hours. It also means you'll be driving through two high school areas on your way to Loop 1604 with Taft High School just down the road. That first two weeks is going to be rough - but not just for you. It's going to be rough for everyone across the county, with hundreds of thousands of kiddos headed to school after being off the last three months.
We know of the need to take a look at the area around Harlan High School, and we're doing just that. We are working with the county and the school district to identify and address issues. We know there are many who may observe some issues and write in or call in - we hope these folks will get this message and know we are already working on solutions. (In fact ... we would ask you to post this to your community's Facebook page or NextDoor thread to ensure the word gets around.) Until the traffic situation normalizes we cannot predict exactly how traffic will behave, and we need to know exactly what we are dealing with to really make the right things happen.
That first week or two, though ... well, traffic patterns should be interesting. We hope residents in the area will realize everyone is working to figure out exactly what route will be best for their family and what happens through the first week of September is certainly not indicative of what you'll see through the duration of the school year.
The bottom line: we are all going to struggle together to figure out the new traffic patterns that come with school. After those first two weeks we will look at the situation around this new school (and others) and determine what, if anything, can be done to address any outstanding issues.
Between now and then, be safe and drive smart! And don't try passing any school buses!

Monday, August 21

This week's construction-related roadway eclipses

I-10 – Fair Oaks Ranch
  • Friday, August 25 at 9 p.m. until Monday, August 28 at 5 a.m. Main lanes, both directions, at Fair Oaks Parkway. All lanes will close while crews demolish the old overpass bridge. Traffic will exit Fair Oaks Parkway, continue along the frontage road and re-enter the highway.
I-10 – East San Antonio
  • Tuesday, August 22 at 8 p.m. until Wednesday, August 23 at 5 a.m. Westbound main lanes between Martin Luther King Boulevard and Roland Road. The left lane will close while crews repair guardrail.
I-10 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Monday-Wednesday, August 21-23. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound frontage road between Fredericksburg Road and Crossroads. Alternating lanes will close while crews do concrete work.
  • Monday-Friday, August 21-25. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound frontage road between Callaghan Road and Pin Oak Drive. Alternating lanes will close while crews work on guardrail.
I-35 – East San Antonio
  • Monday, August 21 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, August 22 at 5 a.m. Southbound frontage road at New Braunfels Avenue. All lanes will close while crews repave the road. Traffic will follow the posted detour route.
  • Friday, August 25 at 9 p.m. until Monday, August 28 at 5 a.m. Main lanes, both directions, at New Braunfels Avenue. All lanes will close while crews demolish the old bridge deck overhead. Traffic will exit New Braunfels Avenue, continue along the frontage road and re-enter the highway at the first available ramp.
I-35 – South San Antonio
  • Current until Thursday, August 31. 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. Northbound frontage road at Indian Creek. The right lane will close while crews repair guardrail.
I-410 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Thursday, August 31. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Frontage roads, both directions, between US 90 and Hwy 151. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
  • Current until Friday, September 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly, Sunday nights through Thursday nights as needed only. Northbound main lanes between Marbach Road and Military Drive. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will exit Hwy 151, continue along the frontage road and enter the highway at the next available ramp. Officers will control traffic at intersections. This closure will not be employed simultaneously with the northbound frontage road closure.
  • Current until Friday, September 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly, Sunday nights through Thursday nights as needed only. Northbound frontage road between Marbach Road and Military Drive. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will use eastbound Hwy 151 and Military Drive to reach its destination. Officers will control traffic at intersections as needed. This closure will not be employed simultaneously with the northbound main lanes closure.
  • Current until Tuesday, September 5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound frontage road between Hwy 151 and Military Drive. The left lane will close while crews do bridge work.
  • Current until Tuesday, September 5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Hwy 151 and Military Drive. The right lanes will close while crews do bridge work.
  • Current until Friday, September 8. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Culebra and Ingram roads. The left two lanes will close while crews build overhead highway sign supports.
  • Current until Tuesday, October 31. Northbound exit to Culebra Road. The exit will close while crews widen the main lanes and frontage road. Traffic will exit Ingram Road, turn around and get to Culebra on the southbound frontage road.
  • Monday, August 21 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, August 22 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Ingram and Culebra roads. The two left lanes will close while crews remove barrier.
  • Tuesday, August 22 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, August 23 at 5 a.m. Southbound frontage road between Culebra Road and Military Drive. All lanes will close while crews do concrete work. Traffic will enter the highway after Culebra Road and re-exit, if necessary, at the Military Drive exit.
U.S. Hwy 90 – West San Antonio
  • Monday-Wednesday, August 21-23. 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Westbound main lanes between I-410 and Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews resurface the highway. Traffic will exit I-410, continue along the frontage road and use the next available ramp.
U.S. Hwy 281 – North San Antonio
  • Tuesday-Friday, August 22-25. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between Redland Road and Agora Palms Drive. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Monday-Friday, August 28-September 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes at Sonterra Road. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
U.S. Hwy 281 – Near North San Antonio
  • Monday-Friday, August 21-25. 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Tuleta Drive and Olmos Basin. The left lanes will close while crews do bridge work.
Hwy 151 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, September 29. Westbound exit ramp to Hunt Lane. The exit will close while crews work on retaining walls. Traffic will exit Ingram Road and follow the frontage road to reach its destination.
  • Current until Sunday, August 27. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound frontage road between Military Drive and Ingram road. All lanes will close while crews do bridge work. Traffic will follow the posted detour route.
  • Wednesday, August 23 at 9 p.m. until Thursday, August 24 at 5 a.m. Westbound main lanes between Potranco Road and Military Drive. All lanes will close while crews do road work. Traffic will exit Ingram Road, continue along the frontage road and re-enter the highway at the next available ramp.
Loop 1604 – North San Antonio
  • Monday, August 21 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, August 22 at 5 a.m. Westbound frontage road between Gold Canyon Road and US Hwy 281. The left lane will close while crews set barrier.
Other roads – Seguin
  • Current until Thursday, August 31. Austin Street between Martindale and Seidman. The road will be converted to one-way only, moving southbound only, while crews do road work. Northbound traffic will use Guadalupe Street to reach its destination.
Other roads – Kerrville
  • Current until Friday, September 1. 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Hwy 27, both directions, between Hwy 16 (Sidney Baker) and RM 783 (Harper Road). Alternating lanes will close while crews do full-depth road repairs. Off-duty police will manage traffic at intersections.
Other roads – Boerne
  • Wednesday, August 23. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Hwy 46, both directions, between Blanco Road and Evans Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews move barrier.
  • Sunday-Tuesday, August 27-29. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Hwy 46, both directions, between Ammann Road and Rust Lane. Alternating lanes will close while crews resurface the road.
Other roads – Fair Oaks Ranch
  • Friday, August 25 at 9 p.m. until Monday, August 28 at 5 a.m. Fair Oaks Parkway, both directions, at I-10. All lanes will close while crews demolish the old bridge. Traffic will follow posted detour routes to reach its destination.
Other roads – East San Antonio
  • Monday-Wednesday, August 21-23. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. New Braunfels Avenue, both directions, at I-35. All lanes will close while crews repave the road. Traffic will turn right onto the I-35 frontage road and turn around at the next intersection to reach its destination.
  • Friday, August 25 at 9 p.m. until Monday, August 28 at 5 a.m. New Braunfels Avenue, both directions, at I-35. All lanes will close while crews demolish the old bridge deck. Traffic will turn right onto the I-35 frontage road and turn around at the next intersection to reach its destination.
Other roads – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, September 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Potranco Road, both directions, at Hwy 151. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the Hwy 151 frontage road and use the next available turnaround to reach its destination.
  • Current until Friday, September 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Hunt Lane, both directions, at Hwy 151. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the Hwy 151 frontage road and use the next available turnaround to reach its destination. 
All closures are pending weather.

Wednesday, August 16

Major I-35 closure next weekend

UPDATE: Closure on I-35 scheduled for August 25-28 has been cancelled as of August 22. Closure on I-10 is still scheduled.


If you haven't heard by now, we have major closures of I-10 at Fair Oaks Parkway planned this weekend and next weekend. We just got word from our field staff of another closure you'll want to know about.

When
Friday, August 25 at 9 p.m. until Monday, August 28 at 5 a.m.

Where
I-35 main lanes at New Braunfels Avenue on the east side of San Antonio. Also, the New Braunfels Avenue overpass at I-35.

What
We're closing the main lanes of I-35 while crews demolish the old New Braunfels Avenue overpass. Traffic will exit New Braunfels Avenue, move through the intersection and re-enter the highway at the first available ramp. Off-duty officers will help move traffic through the New Braunfels Avenue intersection.
We are also closing the New Braunfels Avenue overpass. Traffic on New Braunfels Avenue will have right-in, right-out only access during this weekend's closure. Those hoping to cross over I-35 should do so at Walters or Pine to do so.

Why
This closure enables crews to safely demolish the old bridge, which we are replacing with this project. Any time we do work like this overhead we close the road so we don't risk catastrophe with people underneath. In this case the bridge will be demolished and pieces of the bridge will be falling onto the road beneath.

Don't worry about that road, though. Before we start the demolition crews will spread a thick bed of sand or dirt on the road to cushion the fall of debris and ensure the road is protected. After the debris is cleared away that dirt bed will be scooped and swept up. Once the work is finished and the main lanes of the highway are deemed safe we will open things up.
And no, we won't use dynamite like crews did up in Marble Falls a couple of years ago. Our guys will be using excavators mounted with hydraulic jackhammers. Not super exciting or as fun to watch as the Marble Falls bridge demo was, but it gets the job done.

Worth noting
This is one of two bridge demolitions occurring in the San Antonio area during the weekend of August 25-28. As we pointed out to begin this post, the other will be on I-10 at Fair Oaks Parkway.

Friday, August 11

This week's construction-related closures

I-10 – Fair Oaks Ranch
  • Friday, August 18 at 9 p.m. until Monday, August 21 at 5 a.m. Frontage roads, both directions, at Fair Oaks Parkway. All lanes will close while crews reconfigure the intersection. Traffic will follow signed detours to reach Fair Oaks Parkway or Tarpon Drive. When work is finished traffic on Fair Oaks Ranch will be diverted off the old overpass bridge onto the new turnaround to cross I-10.
  • Friday, August 25 at 9 p.m. until Monday, August 28 at 5 a.m. Main lanes, both directions, at Fair Oaks Parkway. All lanes will close while crews demolish the old overpass bridge. Traffic will exit Fair Oaks Parkway, continue along the frontage road and re-enter the highway.
  • More information may be found here.
I-10 – East San Antonio
  • Saturday, August 12. 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Westbound entrance ramp from FM 1516. The ramp will close while crews install storm drain. Traffic will use the next available ramp.
I-10 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Sunday-Monday, August 12-14. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Eastbound frontage road between Balcones North and West Avenue. Alternating lanes will close while crews resurface the road.
  • Sunday-Wednesday, August 13-16. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound frontage road between Callaghan Road and Oakdale Station. Alternating lanes will close while crews work on guardrail.
  • Monday-Wednesday, August 14-16. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Eastbound frontage road between Callaghan Road and DeZavala Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews do concrete work.
I-35 – New Braunfels
  • Sunday-Friday, August 13-18. 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Solms Road and the Guadalupe River Bridge. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
I-35 – East San Antonio
  • Wednesday-Thursday, August 16-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes between Frank Street and Splashtown. All lanes will close while crews move barrier. Traffic will exit Walters, continue along the frontage road and use the next available ramp to return to the main lanes.
  • Thursday-Friday, August 17-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Splashtown and Hines Street. All lanes will close while crews move barrier. Traffic will exit AT&T Parkway, continue along the frontage road and re-enter at the next available ramp.
I-35 – South San Antonio
  • Current until Thursday, August 31. 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. Northbound frontage road at Indian Creek. The right lane will close while crews repair guardrail.
I-410 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until August 31. Northbound exit to Culebra Road. The exit will close while crews widen the main lanes and frontage road. Traffic will exit Ingram Road, turn around and get to Culebra on the southbound frontage road.
  • Current until August 31. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Frontage roads, both directions, between US 90 and Hwy 151. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
  • Current until September 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly, Sunday nights through Thursday nights as needed only. Northbound main lanes between Marbach Road and Military Drive. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will exit Hwy 151, continue along the frontage road and enter the highway at the next available ramp. Officers will control traffic at intersections. This closure will not be employed simultaneously with the northbound frontage road closure.
  • Current until September 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly, Sunday nights through Thursday nights as needed only. Northbound frontage road between Marbach Road and Military Drive. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will use eastbound Hwy 151 and Military Drive to reach its destination. Officers will control traffic at intersections as needed. This closure will not be employed simultaneously with the northbound main lanes closure.
  • Current until Tuesday, September 5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound frontage road between Hwy 151 and Military Drive. The left lane will close while crews do bridge work.
  • Current until Tuesday, September 5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Hwy 151 and Military Drive. The right lanes will close while crews do bridge work.
  • Current until Friday, September 8. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Culebra and Ingram roads. The left two lanes will close while crews build overhead highway sign supports.
  • Sunday-Thursday, August 13-17. 8 p.m. unit 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound frontage road between Bertetti Drive and US Hwy 90. The left lane will close while crews build support columns.
U.S. Hwy 90 – West San Antonio
  • Sunday-Friday, August 13-18. 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Westbound main lanes between I-410 and Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews resurface the highway. Traffic will exit I-410, continue along the frontage road and use the next available ramp.
  • Sunday-Wednesday, August 20-23. 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Westbound main lanes between I-410 and Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews resurface the highway. Traffic will exit I-410, continue along the frontage road and use the next available ramp.
U.S. Hwy 281 – North San Antonio
  • Monday-Tuesday, August 14-15. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Stone Oak Parkway and Evans Road. The two right lanes will close while crews set barrier.
  • Tuesday-Thursday, August 15-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between Evans Road and Encino Rio. The two right lanes will close while crews set barrier.
  • Thursday-Friday, August 17-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Encino Rio and Redland Road. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Monday-Thursday, August 21-24. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between Redland Road and Agora Palms Drive. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Thursday-Friday, August 24-25. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Sonterra Boulevard and Loop 1604. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
U.S. Hwy 281 – Near North San Antonio
  • Sunday-Friday, August 13-18. 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. Northbound main lanes between I-35 and Tuleta Drive. The right lanes will close while crews do bridge work.
Hwy 151 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until August 31. Westbound exit ramp to Hunt Lane. The exit will close while crews work on retaining walls. Traffic will exit Ingram Road and follow the frontage road to reach its destination.
Other roads – Seguin
  • Current until August 31. Austin Street between Martindale and Seidman. The road will be converted to one-way only, moving southbound only, while crews do road work. Northbound traffic will use Guadalupe Street to reach its destination.
Other roads – New Braunfels
  • Current until Friday, August 18. 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily, Monday-Friday only. Hwy 46, both directions, between FM 758 and I-35. The right lane will close while crews replace curb and install traffic signals and guardrail.
Other roads – Kerrville
  • Sunday, August 13 until Friday, September 1. 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Hwy 27, both directions, between Hwy 16 (Sidney Baker) and RM 783 (Harper Road). Alternating lanes will close while crews do full-depth road repairs. Off-duty police will manage traffic at intersections.
Other roads – Fair Oaks Ranch
  • Friday, August 18 at 9 p.m. until Monday, August 21 at 5 a.m. Fair Oaks Parkway, both directions, at I-10. All lanes will close while crews reconstruct the intersection. Traffic will follow posted detour routes to reach its destination.
  • Friday, August 25 at 9 p.m. until Monday, August 28 at 5 a.m. Fair Oaks Parkway, both directions, at I-10. All lanes will close while crews demolish the old bridge. Traffic will follow posted detour routes to reach its destination.
Other roads – Northwest San Antonio
  • Monday-Friday, August 14-18. 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily. FM 1560, both directions, between Alta Loma Road and Saltillo Flats. Alternating lanes will close while crews set concrete box beams.
  • Thursday-Friday, August 17-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Potranco Road, both directions, between Loop 1604 and Waterstone Place. All lanes will close while crews do bridge work overhead. Traffic will use Talley Road and Military Drive to reach its destination.
All closures are pending weather.

Thursday, August 10

Next I-10 closures at Fair Oaks Pkwy

We have two more weekend-long closures impacting I-10 at Fair Oaks Parkway coming in August. And, to be completely honest, these are going to be doozies. They'll have a greater impact, by far, than the previous two closures.
Here's a look at what's going on, taking things chronologically:
August 18-21
This closure will have little impact on the main lanes of I-10 but will be significant for the intersections on the frontage roads. Actually, we will completely close the intersections - on both sides - at Fair Oaks Parkway.
Work will begin about 9 o'clock Friday night (August 18) and finish no later than Monday morning (August 21) at 5 o'clock. We are hoping to be wrapped up with this work a little early, though.
When work is done all traffic on the Fair Oaks Parkway bridge will be moved onto the turnaround bridge. Yes, there is enough space - just enough for a pair of narrow travel lanes. Nothing too extreme, but it was built wide enough to accommodate traffic for the detour.
During the closure we'll have some pretty interesting detours in place. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here's what things will look like (click on it to enlarge):
The orange area is the work area - and will be completely closed through the weekend of August 18-21.
Those trying to reach Fair Oaks Parkway may do so through Leslie Pfeiffer Drive. Those trying to get to Tarpon Drive need to use Windwood Drive. If you're headed to those businesses in the area, you'll do so following the same routes - Windwood Drive and Leslie Pfeiffer.
Again, with a little luck with weather and equipment we won't be at it all weekend and folks can return to normal well before Monday morning.
When work is done for the weekend the intersection of Fair Oaks Parkway and the westbound frontage road of I-10 will be skewed quite a bit. That skew will continue until the project is finished and traffic is on the new bridge.
August 25-28
This one is the big'un.
We'll have all main lanes of I-10 closed - both directions, to be clear - beginning 9 p.m. August 25 until 5 a.m. August 28. This is the weekend we're demolishing the old Fair Oaks Parkway overpass bridge.
Traffic will use the same detour path we've used before with two lanes exiting the highway in each direction, then re-entering after the intersection. We've seen this work well for us thus far.
Please don't expect this work to wrap up so early the way it did during other closures, though. Demolishing a bridge takes a while - it's an involved process. First crews will lay down a bed of sand or dirt under the bridge. This ensures falling concrete chunks don't do significant damage to the roadway underneath. The bridge is cut and broken into pieces and hauled off in as controlled a manner as possible. Getting trucks into and out of the closure area can be difficult as well, and slow some of the work. We have contingency plans in place, but this can slog things a bit.
Once the bridge is wrecked and pieces hauled out we have to clean up the road, including that bed of sand, and inspect the road surface to ensure we don't have any major damage. Once our inspectors are satisfied the road is traffic-worthy everything opens up and is back to normal.
It's an involved process and will certainly take the entirety of the weekend.
Looking beyond
For those keeping tabs these are the third and fourth major closures at this location. When the project began we anticipated about ten such closures - which means we're about halfway through the misery. The next major closure won't come until we are ready to hang beams - and in order to do that we have a lot of concrete work to do. The likelihood of setting those beams before the end of 2017 is pretty slim, unless RELMCo really speeds up their processes.
One of those ten remaining closures - and likely the final closure - will mirror what we're doing August 18-21 to get the intersection rebuilt and traffic into its final configuration.
Still on schedule
By the way, this project is still on schedule to wrap up by summer 2018.

We're still setting the work zone on US 281

The US 281 expansion has thus far meant restriping travel lanes and clearing the right-of-way. In coming days temporary concrete barriers will go up to allow crews to safely clear brush and other items separate from active traffic.
This requires continued overnight closures between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. We do this at night to minimize traffic impact on drivers and businesses.
These specific locations will be impacted next week:
  • August 14 at 9 p.m. until August 15 at 5 a.m. Single right lane closure of southbound US 281 from Encino Rio to Redland Road.
  • August 15 at 9 p.m. until August 16 at 5 a.m. Single right lane closure of southbound US 281 from Redland Road to Agora Palms Drive.
  • August 16 at 9 p.m. until August 17 at 5 a.m. Single right lane closure of southbound US 281 from the Loop 1604/Sonterra Road exit ramp to Sonterra Road entrance ramp – please note there will be no impacts to the ramp.
  • August 17 at 9 p.m. until August 18 at 5 a.m. Single left lane closure of southbound US 281 frontage road near Sonterra Road.
Please note that all lane closures are weather permitting and subject to change. To get the most up-to-date information please follow us on Twitter or sign up for email alerts.

Tuesday, August 8

FM 1103 bridge starts this week

Edit: due to weather impacts and some scheduling conflicts the start date has been pushed further than expected. Blog below has been updated with the new start date.


A $7.2 million project expanding the FM 1103 bridge over I-35 in Schertz starts the night of September 5 and will wrap up by spring 2019.
Local company Anderson Columbia won the contract to make the bridge five lanes wide (plus turnarounds) and will be churning through a six-day workweek to finish construction as fast as possible.

What's being done
The existing bridge has two lanes; the new
bridge will have five plus turnarounds.
The incredible growth in Schertz and Cibolo has overwhelmed the old two-lane bridge (and, quite honestly, FM 1103 itself ... but there's a whole other post dedicated to that issue).
The new bridge will have five lanes with priority given to getting traffic off FM 1103 headed toward San Antonio. Two eastbound lanes will include one through lane and one optional lane. Three westbound lanes will include a left-only lane, an optional lane and a through lane getting traffic onto Hubertus Road (which is also growing...). Turnarounds will be built on each side of the new bridge.
All this work should position the intersection to appropriately meet the demands of the growing suburban communities depending on this location so heavily.
Oh, yeah, and we'll also upgrade the traffic signals and pedestrian facilities while we're out there.

Getting from here to there
Our biggest priority is minimizing the impact on daily traffic through the duration of construction. That's what our aim is with every project, in fact.
The first thing the good folks of Anderson Columbia will be working on is the new westbound portion of the bridge, including the south-to-north turnaround. That first half of the bridge should be finished before summer 2018.
At that point traffic will be moved onto the new half of the bridge and the existing bridge will be torn out. The eastbound portion of the bridge and the north-to-south turnaround will be built. During this phase of work the bridge will serve westbound traffic only. Those who would use the eastbound portion of the bridge will need to head south to FM 2252, turn around and return to the intersection.

The long detour
First ... why would we do something like this when we work so hard to minimize impact? Traffic data shows the largest demand on the bridge - by far - is the westbound side. This arrangement will actually relieve traffic issues in the area today long before the bridge is complete. It's not something we would typically do, but our engineers believe this is the right way to go.
The duration for this traffic arrangement is expected to last more than six months - not an indefinite length by any means, but certainly long enough to warrant folks gearing up for this.
Remember this will begin before the start of summer 2018, and likely wrap up around the end of the year.

Shorter detours
Everyday work activities will be done mostly behind concrete barricades without disrupting traffic. This is an around-the-clock operation, so expect crews to be out there 24 hours a day, six days a week.
Major closures will be limited to nights and, on occasion, weekends. The weekend closures will come as we need to hang support beams and demolish the existing bridge. Those closures will be announced with at least two weeks' notice.

Friday, August 4

Next week's construction-related closures

I-10 – East San Antonio
  • Current until Saturday, August 12. 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily except Sundays. Westbound frontage road between Foster Road and FM 1516. Alternating lanes will close while crews install storm drain.
  • Wednesday-Thursday, August 9-10. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Westbound exit ramp to FM 1516. The ramp will close while crews install storm drains. Traffic will exit Loop 1604, turn around and use the westbound frontage road to reach FM 1516.
  • Saturday, August 12. 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Westbound entrance ramp from FM 1516. The ramp will close while crews install storm drain. Traffic will use the next available ramp.
I-35 – Austin area
  • Saturday-Monday, August 5-7. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, at FM 3406. All lanes will close while crews set bridge support beams overhead. Traffic will exit FM 3406, follow the frontage road and use the next available ramp to re-enter the highway.
I-35 – Northeast San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, August 11. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between Thousand Oaks and George Beach. Alternating lanes will close while crews work on the center median and lay asphalt.
  • Saturday, August 5 at 5 a.m. until Sunday, August 6 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between George Beach and Thousand Oaks. Alternating lanes will close while crews work on new ramps.
  • Sunday-Monday, August 6-7. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes at Randolph Boulevard. The left lane will close while crews repair the center median.
I-35 – East San Antonio
  • Tuesday-Wednesday, August 8-9. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes at AT&T Parkway. All lanes will close while crews move barrier. Traffic will exit AT&T Parkway, continue along the frontage road and re-enter at the next available ramp.
  • Wednesday-Thursday, August 9-10. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes at AT&T Parkway. All lanes will close while crews move barrier. Traffic will exit Frank Street, continue along the frontage road and re-enter at the next available ramp.
  • Friday, August 11 at 9 p.m. until Monday, August 14 at 5 a.m. Main lanes, both directions, at New Braunfels Avenue. All lanes will close while crews demo the old bridge deck. Traffic will exit New Braunfels Avenue, continue along the frontage road and re-enter at the next available ramp.
  • Wednesday-Thursday, August 16-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes between Frank Street and Splashtown. All lanes will close while crews move barrier. Traffic will exit Walters, continue along the frontage road and use the next available ramp to return to the main lanes.
  • Thursday-Friday, August 17-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Splashtown and Hines Street. All lanes will close while crews move barrier. Traffic will exit AT&T Parkway, continue along the frontage road and re-enter at the next available ramp.
I-35 – South San Antonio
  • Current until Thursday, August 31. 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. Northbound frontage road at Indian Creek. The right lane will close while crews repair guardrail.
I-410 – South San Antonio
  • Monday-Thursday, August 7-10. 9 a.m. until 4 a.m. daily. Main lanes, both directions, at Somerset. Alternating lanes will close while crews do concrete work.
I-410 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until August 31. Northbound exit to Culebra Road. The exit will close while crews widen the main lanes and frontage road. Traffic will exit Ingram Road, turn around and get to Culebra on the southbound frontage road.
  • Current until August 31. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Frontage roads, both directions, between US 90 and Hwy 151. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
  • Current until September 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly, Sunday nights through Thursday nights as needed only. Northbound main lanes between Marbach Road and Military Drive. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will exit Hwy 151, continue along the frontage road and enter the highway at the next available ramp. Officers will control traffic at intersections. This closure will not be employed simultaneously with the northbound frontage road closure.
  • Current until September 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly, Sunday nights through Thursday nights as needed only. Northbound frontage road between Marbach Road and Military Drive. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will use eastbound Hwy 151 and Military Drive to reach its destination. Officers will control traffic at intersections as needed. This closure will not be employed simultaneously with the northbound main lanes closure.
  • Saturday, August 5 until Tuesday, September 5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound frontage road between Hwy 151 and Military Drive. The left lane will close while crews do bridge work.
  • Saturday, August 5 until Tuesday, September 5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Hwy 151 and Military Drive. The right lanes will close while crews do bridge work.
  • Saturday, August 5 until Friday, September 8. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Culebra and Ingram roads. The left two lanes will close while crews build overhead highway sign supports.
  • Saturday-Sunday, August 5-6. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Northbound frontage road between Hwy 151 and Military Drive. All lanes will close while crews pour concrete. Traffic will use Hwy 151, Ingram Road and Military Drive to reach its destination.
  • Sunday-Monday, August 6-7. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound frontage road at Hwy 151. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe the intersection lanes.
  • Monday-Tuesday, August 7-8. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes at US Hwy 90. The two right lanes will close while crews set barrier.
  • Monday-Tuesday, August 7-8. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Military Drive and Hwy 151. The right lane will close while crews move barrier.
  • Wednesday-Thursday, August 9-10. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound frontage road between Leon Creek and Hwy 151. The left lane will close while crews switch traffic onto the new Military bypass overpass and the new southbound exit to Hwy 151. This closure includes the ramp to Hwy 151. Traffic will exit Military Road and continue along the frontage road to reach its destination.
  • Wednesday-Thursday, August 9-10. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound frontage road at US Hwy 90. The left lane will close while crews set barriers.
U.S. Hwy 90 – West San Antonio
  • Thursday-Friday, August 10-11. 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. Main lanes, both directions, between I-410 and West Military Drive. The two right lanes will close while crews set barrier.
U.S. Hwy 281 – North San Antonio
  • Monday-Tuesday, August 7-8. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Marshall Road and Stone Oak Parkway. The right lanes will close while crews set barrier.
  • Tuesday-Thursday, August 8-10. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between Stone Oak Parkway and Evans Road. The right lanes will close while crews set barrier.
  • Thursday-Friday, August 10-11. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Evans Road and Encino Rio. The right lanes will close while crews set barrier.
  • Monday-Tuesday, August 14-15. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Encino Rio and Redland Road. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Tuesday-Wednesday, August 16-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Redland Road and Agora Palms Drive. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Wednesday-Friday, August 16-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes at Sonterra Boulevard. The left lane will close while crews set barrier.
U.S. Hwy 281 – Near North San Antonio
  • Tuesday-Wednesday, August 8-9. 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. Southbound exit ramp to Stadium Drive and Mulberry Road. The ramp swill close while crews do concrete work. Traffic will take the next available ramp and turnaround.
Hwy 151 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until August 31. Westbound exit ramp to Hunt Lane. The exit will close while crews work on retaining walls. Traffic will exit Ingram Road and follow the frontage road to reach its destination.
Other roads – Seguin
  • Current until August 31. Austin Street between Martindale and Seidman. The road will be converted to one-way only, moving southbound only, while crews do road work. Northbound traffic will use Guadalupe Street to reach its destination.
Other roads – New Braunfels
  • Current until Friday, August 18. 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily, Monday-Friday only. Hwy 46, both directions, between FM 758 and I-35. The right lane will close while crews replace curb and install traffic signals and guardrail.
Other roads – Northeast San Antonio
  • Friday, August 4 at 9 p.m. until Monday, August 7 at 5 a.m. Walzem Road, both directions, at I-35. All lanes will close while crews work on columns. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage road and turn around at the next cross street to reach its destination.
Other roads – East San Antonio
  • Friday, August 11. 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. New Braunfels Avenue, both directions, at I-35. All lanes will close while crews demo the old bridge deck. Traffic will be allowed to turn right onto the frontage roads and will use Walters Street to cross I-35.
  • Friday, August 11 at 9 p.m. until Monday, August 14 at 5 a.m. New Braunfels Avenue, both directions, at I-35. All lanes will close while crews demo the old bridge deck. Traffic will be allowed to turn right onto the frontage roads and will use Walters Street to cross I-35.
All closures are pending weather.

Thursday, August 3

Traffic switch coming: SB I-410 to Hwy 151

*UPDATE: Dates of traffic shift were changed to August 9-10.


Let's get one thing out of the way first: this is not the final configuration for traffic traveling from southbound I-410 to Hwy 151. The new direct connector to westbound Hwy 151 is not yet opening.
All that said, those who exit southbound I-410 to reach Hwy 151 as part of their daily commutes are about to see a significant change to their routes next week with the completion of what's being called by project staff the "Military Drive Bypass".

What's a bypass and why is it being built?
The bridge that's opening to make this traffic shift possible is a permanent intersection bypass guiding a single lane of frontage road traffic over Military Drive, skipping the traffic signal completely.
We have a few other bypasses - though with much larger capacity - along I-410 on the north side of down, most notably at San Pedro.
The reason for this bypass is access to the Westover Marketplace commercial center. When the new direct connector is built the old ramp, which also serves traffic headed to the shops at Westover, will no longer be in service.
Actually, that old ramp will go much sooner.

A look at the bypass that'll be in play midweek next week.

Current ramp is closing The current ramp serving traffic to Hwy 151 (and the marketplace) will permanently close the night of Wednesday, August 9. That means Thursday's commute will be a bit different - so pay attention!
With the old ramp closed Williams Brothers Construction will be working hard to finish the tie-in to the new direct connector while also looking to improve the capacity of the frontage road as fast as they can.

New ramp is opening
The new ramp for those headed to Hwy 151 will be the ramp folks are currently using for Military Drive. That lane will be guided up and over Military Drive and then follow the same route traffic runs today.
In the near future the new Military Drive exit ramp will open (north of Leon Creek) and we'll change things a bit again.

Planned closures
Before we get to where all this new stuff is in place we'll have a series of overnight closures the first half of next week. The main lanes won't be impacted too much, but expect to see more major closures on the frontage road Tuesday night as traffic is switched.
For those looking to reach Hwy 151 overnight, try exiting Marbach and turning around to reach your destination. It will be slow going, but you should be able to get through just fine.

Overall completion
The big question is pretty clear - and the answer is pretty simple. Overall completion for this project is coming fall 2018.