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Saturday, September 30

I-10 frontage roads about to go one-way

You read the headline correct: a date has been scheduled to officially convert the existing two-way frontage roads between Foster and Greytown roads to one-way. If you thought this was about that other I-10 frontage road conversion ... well, that's coming next year.
At any rate, the date is ...
... Saturday, October 14.
Work will get started around 8 in the morning and continue until they're all finished. We know you want to know what this means for you and more details, so here we go.

Project Recap
The summer heat and rainy weather didn’t keep us from moving forward with the $63.8 million project to build a new overpass at Woodlake Parkway, upgrade the intersections and signals, reconfigure the entrance and exit ramps and convert the frontage roads to one-way. Work began fall 2016 and is expected to wrap up mid-2019. Texas Sterling Construction is the contractor and we have CEC managing and inspecting the work.
You can read all the details about the project here.

All about the One-Way Frontage Roads
This is BIG news because it means you will no longer be able to drive opposite directions on the existing two-way frontage roads. If you’re driving eastbound on the I-10 frontage road from Foster Road to Greytown Road this means you can only drive east. Same if you’re driving westbound, you can only drive west. You’ve probably seen message boards along the project with notification about Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 8:00 a.m.
This is a HUGE improvement in safety. Studies show there’s a significant reduction in the number, type, and severity of crashes on one-way frontage roads:
  • They reduce fatal and injury crashes by 57 percent
  • They reduce serious head-on and angle crashes by 80-96 percent
  • They reduce intersection crashes by 77-85 percent
Work will begin bright and early Saturday morning. If you drive through the area you'll see a slew of construction vehicles - like truck-mounted attenuators - and flaggers as the new signs go up on the frontage roads. Texas Sterling Construction will have both frontage roads limited to a single lane.

What now?
So where do you drive now? What are you supposed to do come3 Saturday night? The answer is really pretty simple. Just go with the flow - drive in the same direction as the corresponding main lane, just like you would on any other urban highway. You can turn around at the intersections of Foster Road, FM 1516, Loop 1604 and Greytown Road.



Another bit of info
By the way… we’re saving the best for last! The conversion has been accelerated by eight months to expedite delivery of the project.
We know you love us for it. We love y'all, too.
Need More Information
Have questions and need some answers? Let us know - we want to keep you informed. Lastly, we
want to give a friendly reminder to drive safe and be mindful in construction zones.

Friday, September 29

Next week's construction-related closures

I-10 – East San Antonio
  • Wednesday, October 4 at 8 p.m. until Thursday, October 5 at 5 a.m. Westbound main lanes between Roland Road and Amanda Street. The left lane will close while crews move barrier.
  • Saturday, October 7 between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Frontage roads, both directions, between Foster and Graytown roads. Alternating lanes will close while crews convert the frontage roads to one-way only. This change is permanent. When work is finished each frontage road will have only one lane.
I-10 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, October 6. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound main lanes between Wurzbach Road and Ramsgate. The two right lanes will close while crews repair retaining walls.
  • Sunday-Friday, October 1-6. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound frontage road between Callaghan Road and Vega Drive. The right lane will close while crews do concrete work.
  • Monday-Friday, October 2-6. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Eastbound frontage road between Oakdale and Pin Oak Drive. The right lane will close while crews do concrete work.
  • Monday-Friday, October 2-6. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Eastbound frontage road between Callaghan Road and Vega Drive. The right lane will close while crews do concrete work.
I-35 – East San Antonio
  • Current until Monday, October 9. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between George Beach and Thousand Oaks. Alternating lanes will close while crews lay asphalt.
I-37 – Downtown San Antonio
  • Current and continuous until Friday, October 27 at 5 p.m. Northbound exit ramp to Florida and Carolina avenues (exit 140A). The ramp will close while crews rebuild the slope near the exit. Traffic will exit Cesar Chavez (exit 140B) and turn around to reach its destination.
I-410 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Sunday-Friday, October 1-6. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound main lanes between Crossroads and Blanco Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews repair the roadway base. This closure includes ramps as needed.
I-410 – West San Antonio
  • 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-Thursday, October 2-5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between US Hwy 90 and Valley Hi. All lanes will close while crews do concrete work. Traffic will exit US Hwy 90, continue along the frontage road and re-enter the highway before Valley Hi.
  • Friday, October 6 at 9 p.m. until Monday, October 9 at 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes between US Hwy 90 and Hwy 151. All lanes will close while crews reconfigure the highway lanes. Traffic will exit US 90 Hwy 90 and follow the frontage road through Marbach before re-entering the highway. Traffic will remain in a single lane through Hwy 151. This closure includes the south-to-north turnaround at Marbach Road.
U.S. Hwy 90 – West San Antonio
  • Tuesday-Thursday, October 2-4. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound main lanes at I-410. All lanes will close while crews set bridge support beams. Traffic will exit I-410 and re-enter at Military Drive.
U.S. Hwy 281 – North San Antonio
  • Monday-Friday, October 2-6. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound frontage road between Sonterra Road and Loop 1604. The two right lanes will close while crews mark the pavement.
  • Monday-Friday, October 2-6. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound frontage road at Sonterra Road. The left lane will close while crews set barrier. This closure includes the entrance ramp from Sonterra. Traffic will continue through the Loop 1604 intersection and use the next available ramp.
  • Monday-Friday, October 2-6. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Redland Road and Encino Rio. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Monday-Friday, October 2-6. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound exit ramp to Sonterra Road. The ramp will close while crews set barrier and mark the pavement. Traffic will use the frontage road exit to reach its destination.
U.S. Hwy 281 – Near north San Antonio
  • Sunday-Friday, October 1-6. 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Olmos Basin and Jones-Maltsberger. The two left lanes will close while crews clean bridge joints.
Hwy 151 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, October 13. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound main lanes between Ingram Road and Military Drive. All lanes will close while crews work on the Hunt Lane overpass bridge. Traffic will exit Ingram Road, continue through the intersections and re-enter after Hunt Lane.
Loop 1604 – North San Antonio
  • Monday-Wednesday, October 2-4. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound exit ramp to northbound US Hwy 281. The ramp will close while crews set barrier. Traffic will exit Gold Canyon and continue along the frontage road to reach the northbound US 281 frontage road.
  • Monday-Thursday, October 2-5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound frontage road at US Hwy 281. The left lane will close while crews set barrier. This closure includes the east-to-west turnaround. Traffic will turn around by using the signalized intersection.
  • Monday-Friday, October 2-6. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound main lanes at US Hwy 281. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Tuesday-Friday, October 3-6. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound frontage road between US Hwy 281 and Stone Oak Parkway. The left lane will close while crews set barrier. This closure includes the east-to-west turnaround. Traffic will turn around by using the signalized intersection.
Loop 1604 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, January 26. North-to-south turnaround at Bandera Road. The turnaround will remain closed while crews do road work. Traffic will use the signalized intersection to turn around.
Other roads – Boerne
  • Tuesday, October 3 at 8 p.m. until Wednesday, October 4 at 5 a.m. Hwy 46, both directions, between Brandt Road and Rust Lane. Alternating lanes will close while crews set concrete barrier. Off-duty police will control traffic through the work area.
Other roads – East San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, October 6. 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Westbound FM 78 between Wood Glen Drive and Foster Road. The right lane will close while crews do concrete work.
All closures are pending weather.

Wednesday, September 27

Mail Bag: Lp 1604, I-10, FM 1103 and safety

I'm trying to find images, drawing or visual representations on how Loop 1604 and Wiseman is supposed to look like after the construction.
- Guy

We have the materials presented at public meetings posted online, including the schematic of the overall project. Enjoy!

Why are so many electronic message boards being erected along I-10? I count five new ones between Boerne and Kerrville.
- Tim

To be honest, Tim, this was the idea of our folks out in San Angelo. They had been using portable message boards during the winter to key in road conditions updates for drivers. The problem: portable message boards require a guy on-site to update the messages.
Dynamic message boards serve as a very effective means to transmit information to drivers. This is particularly true during major weather events when we have highway obstructions we need to advertise in real time.
For those who remember, we had to close I-10 in various places in West Texas due to ice during storms Kronos and Goliath. The closures created a gridlock scenario with some motorists - particularly big rigs - getting stranded. If we had in place a dynamic messaging system (like we are now installing) at the time the situation could have been mitigated by allowing motorists to get off the highway and detour to other locations. That's what we're about here with this effort.
In fact, we're installing about 30 new signs between Boerne and Sheffield. There are talks of adding signs beyond that - perhaps all the way to El Paso. These signs will be connected to our TransGuide base of operations in San Antonio and be available to the folks in the San Angelo District Operations Center.
The whole project costs us about $3 million. That includes the cost of cameras mounted atop these signs, giving us not only messaging capability but a real-time look at highway and traffic conditions at some pretty remote locations. The end product for you will be not unlike the system of mountain pass cameras used in some states, like Washington.
We should have everything installed and ready for use before winter hits us this year.

I keep seeing damage to the cable guard rails in the median between the lanes of I-10 West from San Antonio to Boerne. Are there any studies or statistics on how many head on collisions they may have prevented? How expensive are they to repair when someone "takes advantage of them?"
- Scott

Cable median barriers are relatively new in the American highway scene - they really came into vogue about a decade ago. Prior to using these cable medians no positive barrier was used, or a type of barrier was used carrying burdensome costs. New York was the first to employ the cable barriers and the Federal Highway Administration posted a 2006 paper extolling their virtues. They've since caught on across the country.
The truth is, every location you see damaged cable is a potential fatality averted. Cross-median collisions (when a vehicle travels across the grass median and strikes an oncoming vehicle, most often head-on) are among the most fatal collisions we see on our highways. The aim of these barriers is preventing these.
Cable barrier is way cheaper to install than concrete is, even if the upkeep is slightly more expensive. Some repair costs - about 20 percent - are offset by insurance claims for us locally.
By the way, we spend somewhere around $400,000 each month (not a typo) on guardrail repairs. That figure includes steel guardrail, crash cushions and cables.

In regards to the expansion project between The RIM and Ralph Fair Road starting September 11th, can we get a detailed plan on how you are planning to minimize the amount of traffic that is invariably going to occur for the next 3 years? I agree we need to do the expansion, but hopefully we learned some lessons from the first I-10 expansion from UTSA to Huebner where the traffic was unbearable and accidents were an all-too-common occurrence. For the sake of everyone's sanity during this time, please tell us you've got something figured out to keep the flow of traffic to a non-road-rage inducing level. You could literally spend an hour getting from Huebner to the RIM during those days, and I don't want to have to do the same again getting from the RIM to RFR!
- Gerard

Well, Gerard, the two projects are pretty much apples and oranges. With the I-10 Huebner project we were adding lanes to the outside (right-hand side) of the highway and we did a lot of work on the ramps. That work on the ramps was a large part of the traffic control issues you saw.
There are a slew of variables that make the comparison a poor one, but we'll keep things simple here.
On the project we're doing now a lot of the work will be done on the inside (left-hand side) and we're not closing any ramps (beyond overnight stuff). We are not reconfiguring any ramps. We are not changing your current traffic alignments or reducing capacity at all.
Honestly, this project is really straightforward and we're out of the way for the most part. Will you see slower traffic? Probably - it's a natural byproduct of the orange signs and barrels. We won't complain about that, ourselves; the slower traffic goes through our office, the safer our workplace is and better our odds of returning home safely each day. But more to your point the daily commute shouldn't be impacted negatively too badly through the project. In fact, you'll see some pretty immediate relief with one new lane (we're building two each way) being opened for your use as soon as early 2019.

What is going on with 1103 Bridge Replacement? You reported on August 8th it was beginning that week. Later delayed until September 5th. Now nothing. Is it now being delayed due to Harvey related repairs?
- Jeff

Work on the FM 1103 overpass officially began September 18 and was delayed for a few reasons - Harvey being one of them.
Those of you not named Jeff, this question was posed twice in a four-week span ... once earlier in August and again just after Harvey hit. We had a few issues pushing us back on the start time, including inconvenient weather patterns and some scheduling gaffes. The good news is a delayed start means little to no impact on drivers.
With work now started the clock is ticking, though. We'll have updates available here as they are pertinent.

When will Military Dr W return to its normal lane configuration?
- Mike

When this traffic shift started the plan was to have things back to normal by September 1. Well, we then got hit with some weather issues in August and had some permitting issues with Bexar County. Then Harvey it. Now we're getting rained on.
Long story short, Mike, we're hoping to have things back to normal by Halloween.
We will have to switch it around one more time to match the intersection to the new southbound frontage road - a task currently anticipated for summer of 2018.

I have seen your advocacy of the "zipper" or late merge. I understand in principle why it should be better than early merging, but I think you neglect to take into consideration two factors that work together to make it impractical in practice. First, there is the law that requires merging traffic to yield. Second is human nature, and the specific driving culture of Texas big cities, which is extremely competitive. Trying to get someone to let you over in ANY situation where you need to change lanes is difficult because people just don't want to give up their position or be behind another car. Add to that in zipper merging the perception that the late merger is "cutting" in front of the line (something most of us were taught was rude since preschool) it's a heavily ingrained sociological problem. Blogs and citing studies won't change that, so what else are you going to do to change the driving culture in Texas?
- Mark

That's a great question, Mark. In short we are still having internal discussions about just how far we want to go as a state to promote the move. As our explanatory post points out some states use fixed and digital highway signs and others have launched full-out awareness campaigns. We aren't sure yet whether we're going to jump onto the bandwagon fully or if we're going to simply advance messaging done by others.
We will point out the "me-first" attitude of too many drivers is not exclusive to Texas; it really is global. The Zipper isn't about being first or not cutting, though - it's about taking turns. And that's a behavior about which even Kindergarteners know well.

Could someone look into the signal timing on the I-10 frontage roads at Dominion Drive? The westbound frontage road has extended green lights in the afternoon to handle the large volume of traffic; as appropriate. However, in the morning, the westbound frontage road still has extended green lights to the detriment of the eastbound frontage roads which now have the largest volume of traffic. This seems way out of balance vis-a-vis the traffic flows.
- Dave

You bet, Dave! We'll be happy to look into this issue and ensure the signal is running optimally vis-à-vis your daily commute (and others).

Friday, September 22

Next week's construction-related closures

I-10 – Boerne
  • Monday, September 25 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, September 26 at 5 a.m. Westbound main lanes at Hwy 46. The right lane will close while crews resurface the road.
I-35 – Austin
  • Friday, September 22 at 10 p.m. until Saturday, September 23 at 10 a.m. Main lanes, both directions, at Oltorf Street. All lanes will close while crews demolish a bridge. Traffic will exit Oltorf (exit 232A) and re-enter at the next available ramp.
I-35 – Schertz
  • Sunday, September 24 at 9 p.m. until Monday, September 25 at 6 a.m. Southbound main lanes at FM 1103. The left lanes will close while crews set barrier.
I-35 – East San Antonio
  • Saturday, September 23. 5 a.m. until 8 p.m. Southbound main lanes between Thousand Oaks and George Beach. Alternating lanes will close, two lanes at a time, while crews stripe the road. This closure will require ramps as needed. Traffic will use the next available ramp to reach its destination.
  • Sunday-Friday, September 24-29. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Broadway and I-410. Alternating lanes will close while crews work on bridge joints.
  • Monday, September 25 until Monday, October 9. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between George Beach and Thousand Oaks. Alternating lanes will close while crews lay asphalt.
I-37 – Downtown San Antonio
  • Current and continuous until Friday, October 27 at 5 p.m. Northbound exit ramp to Florida and Carolina avenues (exit 140A). The ramp will close while crews rebuild the slope near the exit. Traffic will exit Cesar Chavez (exit 140B) and turn around to reach its destination.
I-410 – Northeast San Antonio
  • Saturday, September 23. 5 a.m. until 8 p.m. Eastbound exit ramp to southbound I-35. The ramp will close while crews restripe the road. Traffic will use the frontage road through Walzem to reach its destination.
I-410 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Saturday, September 30. 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 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 90 – West San Antonio
  • Sunday, September 24 at 6:30 p.m. until Monday, September 25 at 5 a.m. Eastbound frontage road between Hunt Lane and I-410. The left lane will close while crews do bridge work.
  • Sunday-Friday, September 24-29. 6:30 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound main lanes between Hunt Lane and I-410. The right lane will close while crews do bridge work. This closure includes the exit to I-410. Traffic will exit Military and turn around to reach its destination.
  • Monday-Friday, September 25-29. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound frontage road between Hunt Lane and I-410. The left lane will close while crews do bridge work.
U.S. Hwy 281 – North San Antonio
  • Monday-Wednesday, September 25-27. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes at Sonterra Boulevard. The left lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Tuesday-Friday, September 26-29. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound frontage road at Sonterra Boulevard. The left lane will close while crews set barrier. This closure includes the entrance ramp from Sonterra Boulevard. Traffic will continue south and use the next available ramp.
  • Tuesday-Friday, September 26-19. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound frontage road between Sonterra Boulevard and Loop 1604. The center and right lanes will close while crews mark the pavement.
  • Wednesday-Friday, September 27-29. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Loop 1604 and Sonterra Boulevard. The right lane will close while crews mark the pavement. This closure includes the exit ramp to Sonterra Boulevard. Traffic will exit Donella and continue along the frontage road to reach its destination.
  • Thursday, September 28 at 9 p.m. until Friday, September 29 at 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes between Encino Rio and Evans Road. The right turn lane will close while crews set barrier.
U.S. Hwy 281 – Near north San Antonio
  • Sunday-Friday, September 24-29. 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Josephine and I-410. The left lanes will close while crews stripe the road. This closure includes ramps as needed.
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.
Loop 1604 – North San Antonio
  • Monday-Wednesday, October 2-4. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound exit ramp to northbound US Hwy 281. The ramp will close while crews set barrier. Traffic will exit Gold Canyon and continue along the frontage road to reach the northbound US 281 frontage road.
  • Monday-Thursday, October 2-5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound frontage road at US Hwy 281. The left lane will close while crews set barrier. This closure includes the east-to-west turnaround. Traffic will turn around by using the signalized intersection.
  • Tuesday-Friday, October 3-6. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound frontage road between US Hwy 281 and Stone Oak Parkway. The left lane will close while crews set barrier. This closure includes the east-to-west turnaround. Traffic will turn around by using the signalized intersection.
Loop 1604 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, January 26. North-to-south turnaround at Bandera Road. The turnaround will remain closed while crews do road work. Traffic will use the signalized intersection to turn around.
Other roads – Castroville
  • Saturday, September 23. 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. U.S. Hwy 90, both directions, between FM 471 and the Bexar-Medina county line. Alternating lanes will close while crews seal coat the road.
  • Sunday, September 24. 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. FM 471, both directions, west of Hwy 211. Alternating lanes will close while crews seal coat the road.
Other roads – East San Antonio
  • Monday, September 25 until Friday, October 6. 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Westbound FM 78 between Wood Glen Drive and Foster Road. The right lane will close while crews do concrete work.
Other roads – Southwest San Antonio
  • Sunday, September 24. Noon until 8 p.m. FM 2536, both directions, between Loop 1604 and I-410. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
  • Monday, September 25. 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. (with a break between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.). FM 2536, both directions, between Loop 1604 and I-410. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
Other roads – Far west San Antonio
  • Sunday, September 24. 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. FM 471, both directions, between Old FM 471 and Hwy 211. Alternating lanes will close while crews seal coat the road. One-way traffic will be controlled by flaggers.
Other roads – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, September 29. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Hunt Lane, both directions, at Hwy 151. All lanes will close as needed while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage road and turn around at the next intersection to reach its destination. This closure will not be in place if Potranco Road is closed.
  • Current until Friday, September 29. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Potranco Road, both directions, at Hwy 151. All lanes will close as needed while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage road and turn around at the next intersection to reach its destination. This closure will not be in place if Hunt Lane is closed.
  • Monday-Wednesday, September 25-27. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Potranco Road, both directions, between Loop 1604 and Waterstone Place. All lanes will close while crews pour concrete overhead. Traffic will use Grosenbacher and Military Drive to reach its destination.
All closures are pending weather.

Thursday, September 21

US 281 moving faster ... well, construction is

The work
Over the past few weeks Webber Construction has been busy setting barrier and clearing the right-of-way between Loop 1604 and Stone Oak Parkway. Heck, they even got going on the foundation of some bridge support systems.
After recent inclement weather, as ground conditions dry out and improve, crews are progressively getting back to full production. That means you'll see more and more activity. Dirt crews are now working to shape the footprint of the frontage roads. Bridge crews are starting to build the direct connectors at the 1604-281 interchange.

Human interest
A long-standing monument built along southbound US 281 just south of Encino Rio was exposed as crews cleared the overgrowth on the right-of-way. The religious-themed statue was built by the family of a young man who tragically lost his life in a crash back in 2008.
With the help of the good people at WOAI, including Emily Baucum, we were able to track down some of the young man's next-of-kin.
Last week our maintenance guys got out to the location and carefully removed the monument and have stored it in our maintenance yard. We are continuing to coordinate with the family to return the monument.
To be clear: monuments like these should not be built in highway right-of-way. There's a proper way to go about memorializing loved ones while reminding others to safely drive our highways. We don't encourage folks setting these up - when we find them, we remove them and hold onto them for about a month and try to contact the family so we can return the memorial.

Safety tidbit
Temporary concrete traffic barrier - the big concrete slabs being set by Webber Construction along the lanes of US 281 and Loop 1604 - is important because they provide crews a safer work zone while working adjacent to the travel lanes. The buffer gives some confidence the traffic, often moving faster than 55 miles per hour, will stay safely away from the work zone. After all, studies show pedestrians hit by cars traveling at least 40 miles per hour have a more-than-95 percent mortality rate.
While those barriers (or any barriers on any project, for that matter) may be an eyesore and cause you to slow down they help our guys do their work with a bit of peace of mind each day.

Stay in the know
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Wednesday, September 20

Some daytime work to be aware of

Two areas - both near elementary schools - will be briefly impacted by work Friday. If you're part of the impacted community and reading this, please share it with your friends.

Fair Oaks Ranch
After finishing a seal coat on Ralph Fair Road two weeks ago we are ready to get painters out to re-stripe the road. This work will begin Friday once the morning dew burns off and continue until work is complete.
Yes, we know that's really vague, and we're sorry. We have to wait for the dew to burn off because paint doesn't stick too well to wet roads. With a sunrise set for about 7:20 a.m. and a dew point likely lower than this morning's 70 degrees, that should mean we'll see the wet ground burn off pretty darned quick. Expect to see us out there around 9, really.
As for our finish time ... we really won't quit until the job is done and the road is re-striped. Our contractor, IBM, has dedicated their top crew and best equipment for the job so we're expecting a pretty quick turnaround - hopefully well before the evening rush at 4 p.m.
We do expect to see some impact to the afternoon pickup rush at Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary School, though, so if you're planning to pick up your kiddos Friday afternoon please plan on a few additional travel minutes.
Striping is a rolling operation - nothing is stationary. We'll work on one side of the road at a time and move along at about 5 miles per hour. We've got an off-duty officer on hand to shadow the work convoy and allow traffic to pass safely as needed. That said, please plan on a few extra minutes to travel through.

Marbach Road - far west San Antonio
Webber Construction is setting bridge support beams over Marbach Road at Loop 1604 on the far west side of town Friday. These beams will form the eventual southbound overpass for Loop 1604 at Marbach Road.
We're aware of the mix between traffic to Southwest ISD schools like Scobee Middle School and Big Country Elementary and residents outside Loop 1604 headed to Northside ISD schools like Grosenbacher Elementary. We've built our work schedule around these school schedules and are asking our contractor, who will begin work at 9 a.m., to break between 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. so we stay out of the way of pick-up times. If we haven't finished work by 2:30 p.m. Webber will set up the closure again at 6 p.m. and continue until they're done.
This work will mean closing Marbach completely immediately west of Loop 1604 (so pretty much just the Champions Park neighborhood) for half-hour spurts while each beam is set over Marbach. Off-duty officers will be at the location to get traffic moved through the area as needed.
Thru traffic on Loop 1604 will not be impacted by this closure.
For those looking for an alternate route during this work, Emory Peak should be able to get you in and out of your neighborhood.

Friday, September 15

The latest on the I-10 work around Fair Oaks Ranch

Ding, dong, the old bridge is gone
Well, that old Fair Oaks Parkway bridge sure came down quick. Our engineer on site was as surprised as we were in the communication department at how quickly RELMCo's subcontractor, JR Ramon, got the bridge broken apart and cleaned up. We love being pleasantly surprised as much as anyone, and we like to give the credit when it's due. In this case accolades have absolutely been earned. We were convinced that work would require at least 48 hours to finish; JR Ramon had it all wrapped up in about 21 hours.
How'd they do it? In a word: resources. Ramon simply put everything they had into this one weekend and were able to give their guys at least a partial weekend as a result. They had a pre-designed activity plan and followed it.
A little luck didn't hurt, either; they didn't have any equipment break down and the weather was perfect for the work.
When stars align work gets done fast!
Now the old bridge is down RELMCo will focus on building the new bridge. The new one will be five lanes wide (old one was two) and directly connect Tarpon Drive to Fair Oaks Parkway - no more weird intersection on the eastbound side of I-10 anymore. We expect the final product to be ready for traffic mid-2018, so the current traffic situation will remain for a while.
We won't have any major closures until we're ready to set bridge support beams. That work will require another weekend closure we will work hard to broadcast when the time comes. Overnight closures will be used to place bridge deck panels and pour concrete; those closures shouldn't mean weekend-long interruptions and we'll do our best to avoid the big stuff as much as we can.

A new intersection and one-way frontage roads
We opened up the new overpass at Old Fredericksburg Road for traffic back in July and traffic seems to move along the road just fine. We're reaching that point of the project where anything we'd have to say for the next few months would be redundant, so we won't really have a whole lot to say about this project until the start of 2019.
Sundt is really focusing on the intersection of Old Fred under the new overpasses, which needs to open before we can convert the frontage roads to one-way between Ralph Fair Road and Old Fredericksburg. The segment between Old Fred and Fair Oaks will convert to one-way once the new bridge over Fair Oaks is finished.
Until that happens we'll continue to have crews doing the basic concrete work on curbs, sidewalks and barriers. More intense work you see will be focused on the new ramps - we're building eight all told, so traffic will have entrance and exit ramps in both directions between Ralph Fair and Old Fred as well as between Old Fred and Fair Oaks.
That work between the main lanes and frontage roads around the new overpass is intended to make sure the old embankments are cut to fit the new road just right. We're also finishing up some retaining walls - work that should wrap up before Thanksgiving.
The bottom line: we're still on target for a late Spring 2018 completion of entire project.

Next week's construction-related closures

I-10 – Fair Oaks Ranch
  • Monday-Wednesday, September 18-20. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound main lanes between Ralph Fair Road and Fair Oaks Parkway. The right lane will close while crews move barrier.
I-10 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Monday, September 18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound main lanes between La Cantera Parkway and Ralph Fair Road. The left lane will close while crews set barrier.
I-10 – East San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, September 22. 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Foster and Graytown roads. The right lane will close while crews resurface the shoulder areas for new ramps. Work will go through the westbound side first, then the eastbound side.
I-35 – Schertz
  • Sunday, September 17 at 9 p.m. until Monday, September 18 at 6 a.m. Northbound main lanes at FM 1103. All lanes will close while crews set up a work zone. Traffic will exit FM 1103, continue through the intersection and re-enter the highway.
  • Monday, September 18 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, September 19 at 6 a.m. Southbound main lanes at FM 1103. All lanes will close while crews set up a work zone. Traffic will exit FM 1103, continue through the intersection and re-enter the highway.
  • Tuesday, September 19 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 20 at 6 a.m. Northbound main lanes at FM 1103. The two right lanes will close while crews set barrier.
  • Wednesday, September 20 at 9 p.m. until Thursday, September 21 at 6 a.m. Main lanes, both directions, at FM 1103. Alternating lanes will close, two at a time, while crews set barrier.
  • Sunday, September 24 at 9 p.m. until Monday, September 25 at 6 a.m. Southbound main lanes at FM 1103. The left lanes will close while crews set barrier.
I-35 – East San Antonio
  • Current until Monday, September 25. 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.
I-37 – Downtown San Antonio
  • Current and continuous until Friday, October 27 at 5 p.m. Northbound exit ramp to Florida and Carolina avenues (exit 140A). The ramp will close while crews rebuild the slope near the exit. Traffic will exit Cesar Chavez (exit 140B) and turn around to reach its destination.
I-410 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Saturday, September 30. 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 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 90 – West San Antonio
  • Monday-Thursday, September 18-21. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound main lanes between Loop 1604 and I-410. All lanes will close while crews set bridge beams overhead for the direct connectors at I-410. Traffic will exit I-410 and re-enter at the next available ramp.
U.S. Hwy 281 – North San Antonio
  • Monday, September 18 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, September 19 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes at Sonterra Boulevard. The right lane will close while crews set barrier. No ramps will be impacted.
  • Tuesday, September 19 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 20 at 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes between Redland Road and Encino Rio. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Monday, September 25 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, September 26 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes at Sonterra Boulevard. The left lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Tuesday, September 26 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 27 at 5 a.m. Southbound frontage road between Sonterra Boulevard and Loop 1604. The center and right lanes will close while crews set barrier.
  • Wednesday, September 27 at 9 p.m. until Thursday, September 28 at 5 a.m. Southbound frontage road at Sonterra Boulevard. The left lane will close while crews set barrier. This closure includes the entrance ramp from Sonterra Boulevard. Traffic will continue south and use the next available ramp.
  • Thursday, September 28 at 9 p.m. until Friday, September 29 at 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes between Encino Rio and Evans Road. The right turn lane will close while crews set barrier.
U.S. Hwy 281 – Near north San Antonio
  • Sunday-Thursday, September 17-21. 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes be3tween Olmos Basin and Jones Maltsberger. Alternating 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.
Loop 1604 – North San Antonio
  • Tuesday, September 19 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 20 at 5 a.m. Eastbound main lanes between U.S. Hwy 281 and Gold Canyon Road. The left lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Wednesday, September 20 at 9 p.m. until Thursday, September 21 at 5 a.m. Eastbound main lanes between U.S. Hwy 281 and Gold Canyon Road. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Thursday, September 21 at 9 p.m. until Friday, September 22 at 5 a.m. Westbound frontage road at U.S. Hwy 281. The left and center lanes will close while crews set barrier.
  • Thursday, September 21 at 9 p.m. until Friday, September 22 at 5 a.m. Eastbound frontage road between U.S. Hwy 281 and Gold Canyon Road. The right and center lanes will close while crews set barrier.
Loop 1604 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Friday, September 22. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., also 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Southbound frontage road at Marbach Road. The right lane will close while crews set bridge support beams over Marbach Road. This closure includes the right turn lane. Traffic will use Emory Peak to reach its destination.
Other roads – Castroville
  • Wednesday-Thursday, September 20-21. 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily. U.S. Hwy 90, both directions, between Dunlay and FM 1343. Alternating lanes will close while crews seal coat the road.
  • Friday-Saturday, September 22-23. 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. U.S. Hwy 90, both directions, between FM 471 and the Bexar-Medina county line. Alternating lanes will close while crews seal coat the road.
Other roads – Uvalde
  • Tuesday, September 19. 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. U.S. Hwy 90, both directions, between FM 2369 and the Frio River in Knippa. Alternating lanes will close while crews seal coat the road.
  • Wednesday, September 20. 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. U.S. Hwy 90, both directions, between U.S. Hwy 83 and FM 2396. Alternating lanes will close while crews seal coat the road.
Other roads – Bandera
  • Monday, September 18. 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Texas Highway 173, both directions, between the Kerr-Bandera county line and FM 3240. Alternating lanes will close while crews finish seal coat work.
Other roads – Kerrville
  • Monday, September 18. 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Texas Highway 173, both directions, between Loop 534 and FM 2771. Alternating lanes will close while crews finish seal coat work.
Other roads – Boerne
  • Monday-Wednesday, September 18-20. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Scenic Loop Road, both directions, at I-10. All lanes will close while crews set bridge support beams overhead. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage road and turn around at Business 87 or Balcones Creek to reach its destination.
Other roads – East San Antonio
  • Monday-Thursday, September 18-21. 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily. FM 1346, both directions, between US Hwy 87 and Sisterdale Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
Other roads – Far west San Antonio
  • Friday, September 22. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., then 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Marbach Road, both directions, immediately west of Loop 1604. All lanes will close 15 minutes at a time as needed to set overhead bridge support beams. Traffic may use Emory Peak to reach its destination.
Other roads – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, September 29. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Hunt Lane, both directions, at Hwy 151. All lanes will close as needed while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage road and turn around at the next intersection to reach its destination. This closure will not be in place if Potranco Road is closed.
  • Current until Friday, September 29. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Potranco Road, both directions, at Hwy 151. All lanes will close as needed while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage road and turn around at the next intersection to reach its destination. This closure will not be in place if Hunt Lane is closed.
  • Saturday, September 16. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Potranco Road, both directions, west of Loop 1604. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
  • Monday, September 18. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Potranco Road, both directions, west of Loop 1604. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
  • Thursday, September 21. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Military Drive, both directions, west of Loop 1604. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe the road.
  • Tuesday, September 26 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 27 at 5 a.m. Potranco Road, both directions, between Loop 1604 and Waterstone Place. All lanes will close while crews pour concrete overhead. Traffic will use Grosenbacher and Military Drive to reach its destination.
All closures are pending weather.

Monday, September 11

This week's construction-related closures

I-10 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Monday-Wednesday, September 11-13. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound main lanes between Ralph Fair Road and La Cantera Parkway. The left lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Tuesday-Thursday, September 12-14. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Eastbound frontage road between Balcones Road and West Avenue. Alternating lanes will close while crews repair the road.
  • Thursday-Monday, September 14-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound main lanes between La Cantera Parkway and Ralph Fair Road. The left lane will close while crews set barrier.
I-10 – East San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, September 22. 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Foster and Graytown roads. The right lane will close while crews resurface the shoulder areas for new ramps. Work will go through the westbound side first, then the eastbound side.
I-35 – Schertz
  • Sunday, September 17 at 9 p.m. until Monday, September 18 at 6 a.m. Northbound main lanes at FM 1103. All lanes will close while crews set up a work zone. Traffic will exit FM 1103, continue through the intersection and re-enter the highway.
  • Monday, September 18 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, September 19 at 6 a.m. Southbound main lanes at FM 1103. All lanes will close while crews set up a work zone. Traffic will exit FM 1103, continue through the intersection and re-enter the highway.
  • Tuesday, September 19 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 20 at 6 a.m. Northbound main lanes at FM 1103. The two right lanes will close while crews set barrier.
  • Wednesday, September 20 at 9 p.m. until Thursday, September 21 at 6 a.m. Main lanes, both directions, at FM 1103. Alternating lanes will close, two at a time, while crews set barrier.
  • Sunday, September 24 at 9 p.m. until Monday, September 25 at 6 a.m. Southbound main lanes at FM 1103. The left lanes will close while crews set barrier.
I-35 – East San Antonio
  • Current until Monday, September 25. 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.
  • Monday-Friday, September 11-15. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Southbound frontage road between Walters and New Braunfels avenues. The right lane will close while crews build sidewalks.
  • Monday-Friday, September 11-15. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Northbound frontage road between Locke Avenue and AT&T Parkway. The right lane will close while crews build sidewalks.
  • Monday-Friday, September 11-15. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Broadway and I-410. The left lanes will close while crews resurface the road.
  • Wednesday, September 13. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Main lanes, both directions, between George Beach and Randolph Boulevard. Alternating lanes will close as needed to repair crash cushions.
I-410 – East San Antonio
  • Thursday, September 14. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Northbound I-410 ramp to northbound I-35. The left lane will close while crews repair guardrail.
I-410 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Saturday, September 30. 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 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
  • Tuesday, September 12 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 13 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Sonterra Road and Loop 1604. The right lane will close while crews set barrier. The ramp will not be impacted by this closure.
  • Wednesday, September 13 at 9 p.m. until Thursday, September 14 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes at Sonterra Road. The left lanes will close while crews do road work. This closure includes the Sonterra exit ramp. Traffic will exit Donella Drive and turn around to reach its destination.
  • Wednesday, September 13 at 9 p.m. until Thursday, September 14 at 5 a.m. Northbound frontage road at Sonterra Road. The left lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Thursday, September 14 at 9 p.m. until Friday, September 15 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Redland Road and Sonterra Boulevard. The right lanes will close while crews set barrier.
U.S. Hwy 281 – Near North San Antonio
  • Monday-Wednesday, September 11-13. 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes at Olmos Basin. The left lanes will close while crews do bridge work.
  • Monday-Friday, September 11-15. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Northbound frontage road between Heimer and Bitters roads. The right lane will close while crews build sidewalks.
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.
Loop 1604 – North San Antonio
  • Monday, September 11 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, September 12 at 5 a.m. Eastbound main lanes between US 281 and Gold Canyon. The right lane will close while crews set barrier. This closure will not impact any ramps.
  • Tuesday, September 12 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 13 at 5 a.m. Westbound frontage road at US Hwy 281. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe the road and set barrier.
  • Tuesday, September 12 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 13 at 5 a.m. Westbound main lanes between Gold Canyon Road and US Hwy 281. The right lane will close while crews restripe the road and set barrier.
Loop 1604 – Far west San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, September 15. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound frontage road between Arby’s and Applebee’s. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe the road and set barrier.
Loop 1604 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Monday, September 11 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, September 12 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Dodge City Trail and Marbach Road. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Tuesday, September 12 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 13 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Medio Creek and Emory Peak. The left lane will close while crews set barrier.
Other roads – Uvalde
  • Tuesday, September 12. 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. U.S. Hwy 83, both directions, between FM 1051 and the Uvalde-Real county line. Alternating lanes will close while crews seal coat the road.
  • Wednesday, September 13. 6 a.m. until 5 p.m. FM 2369, both directions, between U.S. Hwy 90 and U.S. Hwy 83. Alternating lanes will close while crews seal coat the road.
  • Wednesday-Thursday, September 12-13. 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. daily. U.S. Hwy 90, both directions, between FM 2369 and FM 1049. Alternating lanes will close while crews seal coat the road.
Other roads – Castroville
  • Friday-Saturday, September 15-16. 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. daily. U.S. Hwy 90, both directions, between Dunlay and FM 1343, FM 471 and the Medina-Bexar county line. Alternating lanes will close while crews seal coat the road.
Other roads – Boerne
  • Monday, September 11 at 8 p.m. until Tuesday, September 12 at 5 a.m. Hwy 46, both directions, between Ammann Road and Rust Lane. Alternating lanes will close while crews resurface the road.
Other roads – East San Antonio
  • Monday-Friday, September 11-15. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound FM 78 between Gulf Shore Boulevard and Rittiman Road. The right lane will close while crews do concrete work.
Other roads – Far west San Antonio
  • Monday, September 11 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, September 12 at 5 a.m. Eastbound Potranco Road immediately west of Loop 1604. The right lane will close while crews install drain structures.
  • Current until Thursday, September 14 at 5 p.m. Dodge City Trail, both directions, at Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews rebuild the intersection of Dodge City Trail and the southbound frontage road of Loop 1604. Traffic will use Emory Peak to reach its destination.
  • Tuesday, September 12 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 13 at 5 a.m. Military Drive, both directions, west of Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will use Westcreek Oaks Drive to reach its destination.
Other roads – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, September 29. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Hunt Lane, both directions, at Hwy 151. All lanes will close as needed while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage road and turn around at the next intersection to reach its destination. This closure will not be in place if Potranco Road is closed.
  • Current until Friday, September 29. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Potranco Road, both directions, at Hwy 151. All lanes will close as needed while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage road and turn around at the next intersection to reach its destination. This closure will not be in place if Hunt Lane is closed.
All closures are pending weather.

Thursday, September 7

Two major closures this weekend

We've got TWO major closures scheduled for this weekend. These posts typically publish much sooner - our apologies for the delay. We'll get into why in a moment. First, the closures:

I-10 at Fair Oaks Parkway
Starting Friday (8 September) at 9 p.m. all main lanes of I-10 will close at Fair Oaks Parkway while RELMCo, Inc., demolishes the old Fair Oaks Parkway overpass bridge. We'll have everything opened up by 5 a.m. Monday (11 September).
This closure will follow the same structure we've used in previous closures, with one-way traffic through the intersection and cross traffic on the bridge shut down. While we've been able to keep traffic moving pretty well during these closures drivers should still expect delays. The biggest impacts, as the last few runs of this closure, will be on those using Fair Oaks Parkway or Tarpon Drive - if that's where you will be driving you may want to find some alternate routes.
Some bridge support structures for the new Fair Oaks Pkwy
overpass have already been built.
Previous closures finished fairly quickly - way ahead of projected schedules. Do not expect that this weekend. Bridge demolition requires quite a bit of work taking a lot of extra time. We have to protect the road surface under the bridge we're tearing out, which is usually done by dumping piles of dirt or sand to form a bed. After the bridge is cut and broken apart the chunks of steel and concrete to a disposal site. Once the old bridge is completely cleared away the dirt cushion will scooped up and swept to return the main lanes of I-10 to action.
If that sounds like it's really involved, well, it is.
With the old bridge out of the way RELMCo will continue to build up the support structure for the new bridge, which will connect Tarpon Drive and Fair Oaks Parkway directly. Some of those supports are already in place.
The next major closure of I-10 at this location will come when RELMCo is ready to set bridge beams across the highway. That, too, will require a weekend for work; we'll have it posted when scheduled.

I-35 at New Braunfels Avenue
Starting Friday (8 September) at 9 p.m. all main lanes of I-35 will close at New Braunfels Avenue near Fort Sam Houston while CRG demolishes the old New Braunfels Avenue overpass bridge. We'll have everything opened up by 5 a.m. Monday (11 September). We had this closure planned for August but were forced to postpone work for a number of reasons.
This is a closure we've done in the past - the last time we interrupted work to accommodate traffic to the AT&T Center during the San Antonio Spurs' playoff run - and it's gone fairly well. To be clear: this one will hang up traffic quite a bit. I-35 is one of the most-traveled roads in all San Antonio with more than 170,000 daily trips through this corridor on average. We'll have cross traffic at New Braunfels Avenue closed as we've done in the past. We'll have the same detours in place, with traffic crossing I-35 being pushed to Walters Street to reach its destination.
Like the demolition of the Fair Oaks Parkway bridge, this closure should last the entire weekend. CRG will lay down a dirt bed before breaking apart the old bridge. Once the scraps are hauled out and the dirt bed is swept up and cleaned traffic will be running again as normal.
The big difference at this location is what traffic will do when things are finished Monday morning. Traffic at Fair Oaks Parkway is already using a temporary solution of the turnaround bridge as a normal bridge. At New Braunfels Avenue traffic will be shifted onto the new bridge half that's being finished up over the weekend.
Like the I-10 work, we should still have a few full closures ahead to set bridge beams, deck panels and to pour concrete. Most of those (at least not setting bridge beams) will be done overnight when needed. Those will be posted in our weekly closures report.

Why not post sooner?
Both closures had been planned for August. We even got to do the first of what was to be consecutive weekends with closures on I-10. Both closures were postponed for a few reasons, then got pushed again when Texas was hit by Hurricane Harvey. There was potential of pushing these closures again due to traffic issues associated with Harvey relief efforts, but traffic volumes have begun to decrease for that work and our administrative team agreed the time to move forward with our projects has come.
That decision was made today - we didn't want to post again on these closures with the chance they'd be pushed back. Again.

Friday, September 1

Next week's construction-related closures

Hays County
  • Tuesday, September 5 at 9 a.m. until Monday, September 11 at 6 a.m. Highway 21, both directions, between High Road and FM 2001. All lanes will close while crews repair drain structures damaged by Harvey flood waters. Traffic will follow the posted detour route. Please plan on additional travel time for this detour.
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 25. 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.
  • Tuesday-Friday, September 5-8. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Broadway and I-410. The left two lanes will close while crews resurface the road.
  • 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-410 – South San Antonio
  • Tuesday-Thursday, September 5-7. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Main lanes, both directions, at Somerset Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews do concrete work.
  • Friday, September 8. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Main lanes, both directions, at Roosevelt. Alternating lanes will close while crews do concrete work.
I-410 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Saturday, September 30. 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 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
  • Tuesday, September 5 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 6 at 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes between Encino Rio and Evans Road. The right turn lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Wednesday, September 6 at 9 p.m. until Thursday, September 7 at 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes between Encino Commons and Stone Oak Parkway. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Thursday, September 7 at 9 p.m. until Friday, September 8 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 12 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 13 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Sonterra Road and Loop 1604. The right lane will close while crews set barrier. The ramp will not be impacted by this closure.
  • Wednesday, September 13 at 9 p.m. until Thursday, September 14 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes at Sonterra Road. The left lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Wednesday, September 13 at 9 p.m. until Thursday, September 14 at 5 a.m. Northbound frontage road at Sonterra Road. The left lane will close while crews set barrier.
U.S. Hwy 281 – Near North San Antonio
  • Tuesday-Friday, September 5-8. 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.
  • Wednesday-Thursday, September 6-7. 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. Southbound entrance ramp from Hildebrand. The ramp will close while crews do concrete work. Traffic will use the next available ramp.
  • Wednesday-Thursday, September 6-7. 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. Northbound entrance and exit ramps at Hildebrand. The ramps will close while crews do concrete work. Traffic will use the next available ramp.
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.
Loop 1604 – North San Antonio
  • Monday, September 11 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, September 12 at 5 a.m. Eastbound main lanes between US 281 and Gold Canyon. The right lane will close while crews set barrier. This closure will not impact any ramps.
Loop 1604 – Far west San Antonio
  • Thursday, September 7 at 9 p.m. until Friday, September 8 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Potranco Road and Caracol Creek. The left lane will close while crews move barrier.
  • Friday, September 8 at 9 p.m. until Saturday, September 9 at 5 a.m. Southbound frontage road between Hwy 151 and the on ramp. The left lane will close while crews set barrier. The ramp will not close during this work.
  • Friday, September 8 at 9 p.m. until Saturday, September 9 at 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes between Caracol Creek and Potranco Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews move barrier.
Loop 1604 – Northwest San Antonio
  • Tuesday-Friday, September 5-8. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Frontage road, both directions, at Bandera Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe the road for a work zone.
  • Monday, September 11 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, September 12 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Dodge City Trail and Marbach Road. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
  • Tuesday, September 12 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 13 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Medio Creek and Emory Peak. The left lane will close while crews set barrier.
Other roads – Boerne
  • Wednesday-Friday, September 6-8. 8 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 – Far west San Antonio
  • Friday, September 1 at 9 p.m. until Saturday, September 2 at 5 a.m. Potranco Road, both directions, between Waterstone Place and Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews install drain structures. Traffic will use Military Drive and Grosenbacher Lane to reach its destination.
  • Tuesday, September 5 at 9 a.m. until Thursday, September 14 at 5 p.m. Dodge City Trail, both directions, at Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews rebuild the intersection of Dodge City Trail and the southbound frontage road of Loop 1604. Traffic will use Emory Peak to reach its destination.
  • Tuesday-Thursday, September 5-7. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Potranco Road, both directions, between Waterstone Place and Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews install drain structures. Traffic will use Military Drive and Grosenbacher Lane to reach its destination.
  • Tuesday, September 12 at 9 p.m. until Wednesday, September 13 at 5 a.m. Military Drive, both directions, west of Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will use Westcreek Oaks Drive to reach its destination.
Other roads – Northwest San Antonio
  • Current until Friday, September 29. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Hunt Lane, both directions, at Hwy 151. All lanes will close as needed while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage road and turn around at the next intersection to reach its destination. This closure will not be in place if Potranco Road is closed.
  • Current until Friday, September 29. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Potranco Road, both directions, at Hwy 151. All lanes will close as needed while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage road and turn around at the next intersection to reach its destination. This closure will not be in place if Hunt Lane is closed.
  • Monday-Friday, September 5-8. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Bandera Road, both directions, between Legend Trail and Sonecroft-Quincy Lee. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe the road for a work zone.
All closures are pending weather.