I-10 Huebner update

With the westbound I-10 overpass at DeZavala Road torn down - Webber Construction got the structure removed late Sunday after a slow start through the last weekend - crews can focus on reconstructing the bridge. The new bridge will be wider, taller and longer than the old bridge.

Crews will be on the bridge six days a week, working around-the-clock. They have six months to get the bridge re-opened, putting traffic where it'll be permanently no later than the end of April 2015.

Work on the eastbound side took just four of the alotted six months to complete. Though the project is behind schedule overall (when Ballenger Construction began the project in 2012, the total completion was scheduled for summer 2014), Webber's managers are finding ways to hurry along work and deliver a final product to area drivers.

One caution: though the first bridge took just four months to rebuild, that was during the best time of year to build. The westbound bridge is being build during the slower winter months.

Elsewhere on the project, Webber is eliminating overnight operations for the time being. Expect to still see crews working along the project during the day, but at night the only area of active work will be at DeZavala Road.

One of the major features crews are working on is the east-to-west turnaround at UTSA Boulevard, which should be ready for traffic sometime around the holidays.

What does all this mean? For most of us driving through the corridor, no major changes from what you see out there today. In fact, for the most part, what we have out there is what we'll stick with for the foreseeable future - likely through the end of the year.

Mammoth weekend of closures coming

*Update: The work at Fredericksburg Road and Medical Drive previously scheduled for this weekend will not happen until next weekend, October 24-25.*

This weekend, four major full closures will take place at various locations across San Antonio, perhaps impacting the northwest side hardest. All of these closures are weather-dependent, and though we're committed to pushing forward with this work the wet weather we've had and may yet have could wash us out for another weekend.

Here's the skinny (we'll try to go chronologically, somewhat):

Friday night through Monday morning
DeZavala Road will close at I-10. This is a total closure, and traffic will turn right onto the I-10 frontage roads, take the next turnaround, then return to DeZavala to continue on their way. This is a detour route we've used a few times now, so local drivers will be familiar with the process.

Expect to see crews start closing things down about 8:30 or 9 Friday night. This closure will be constant, and we'll have everything out of the way in time for Monday's morning commute.

With the road closed, Webber Construction will be able to demolish the old westbound I-10 overpass to reconstruct the bridge. Traffic on I-10 was moved over onto the new eastbound bridge structure last weekend.

Bonus closure: Just a reminder the eastbound exit to UTSA Boulevard is closed for six months. You have a few options to get around that: 1) Exit DeZavala Road and push through the intersection (definitely NOT recommended this weekend). 2) Pass UTSA Blvd, exit Lp 1604, turn around and return to UTSA Blvd. 3) Pass UTSA Blvd, exit Lp 1604, use the Lp 1604 access road to reach John Peace Blvd (this is for those headed to UTSA campus).

Just for kicks, here's a video talking about the potential detour routes and the closure of the UTSA Blvd exit:

Saturday (daytime only)

The I-10 main lanes at Ralph Fair Road will close all day Saturday. The listed times are 2 a.m. until 9 p.m., and we expect Sundt Construction to use all of that alotted time.

We just saw this closure last month, so most folks should be familiar with what it will look like. Truthfully, we expect traffic to back up at least 2-3 miles each way, and delays to last in excess of 30 minutes. Drivers might opt to bypass the closure, taking US 281 and Hwy 46 to reach Boerne from the north and east sides of San Antonio, or take Hwy 16 (Bandera Road) and Hwy 46 to reach Boerne from the west and south sides.

This closure includes Ralph Fair Road itself between Old Fredericksburg Road and I-10. This will allow us ample room for the trucks coming into and out of the work zone, and will help us keep traffic flowing along the frontage road.

The closure will allow Sundt to pour concrete, forming the portion of the new Ralph Fair Road bridge deck they set beams for in September. If you missed the detour routes for that closure, here's a look at the graphic we published then:

Sunday morning

The northbound lanes of I-35 will close at the interchange of I-410 near SAMMC. This only impacts northbound I-35, though the closure will be felt in all directions. Traffic will exit as though it's headed to southbound I-410, remain on the frontage road of I-410, turn around at Binz-Engleman and follow the northbound I-410 frontage road through Rittiman Road, then re-enter the northbound I-35 main lanes.

Yeah, it really is that complicated.

Again, this is for a bridge deck pour. Lane Construction is pouring concrete to form the new southbound I-35 ramp to southbound I-410. The work will begin at 3 a.m. and crews plan to have lanes reopened for use by noon.

Bonus closure: One lane on the southbound side of I-35 will close during this time for trucks to gain access to the work area. Please be smart and drive safe.

Bonus closure part II: Remember we still have overnight closures of all northbound main lanes between FM 3009 and FM 1103 in the Schertz area. These won't impact most users of I-35, but drivers should be aware these are happening.

I-10 ... closures on TWO projects in ONE weekend

Over the next two weekends, we've got a slew of closures planned for I-10 on the northwest side. Drivers in the area should take note and mark their schedules. This post will organize things chronologically, but be aware a few different locations are involved here:

October 10-11, I-10 at DeZavala Road

Before next weekend's closures can happen, Webber will move traffic on the main lanes over DeZavala Road onto the new bridge structure. Again, this bridge had a six-month milestone attached to it, and Webber has completed the work in four months.

To do this, crews will have main lanes down to a single lane each way, one side of the highway at a time, and move traffic around. Here's the schedule:

Friday night, 9 o'clock, two lanes of eastbound (inbound) I-10 will close. Webber will have all main lanes closed around midnight allowing them to quickly stripe the eastbound lanes and move barriers. They plan to have traffic open to three lanes going eastbound Saturday morning.

Saturday night, 9 o'clock, two lanes of westbound (outbound) I-10 will close. Again, we'll have all main lanes closed by midnight while Webber stripes the new lanes and moves barrier. They plan to have all three lanes reopened by Sunday morning.

The switch won't really mean much difference for the daily commuters; they'll have the same number of lanes and the same sticking points with entrance ramps and exit ramps will exist (more or less - more in a moment). Drivers should simply be aware those lanes will follow a different path, so "autopilot" drivers will need to wake up and pay added attention to their path. Put away your dang cell phones when you drive, and you'll be just fine.

Entrance and exit ramp changes

Along with the October 10-11 switch will come some significant changes to some entrance and exit ramps. We'll take a look at chages on the westbound side, then look at the eastbound side. Remember: these changes will take full effect October 11.

WB exit to DeZavala/Woodstone: no changes.

WB entrance from Huebner: no major changes; be aware the ramp may be a little longer as needed to accommodate the new path of roadway lanes going over DeZavala Road.

WB exit to UTSA Blvd: CLOSED. This ramp will remain closed for about six months. Traffic can either exit DeZavala/Woodstone and follow the frontage road or may exit at Lp 1604 ("Frontage Road") and turn around at the intersection and approach on eastbound I-10.

WB entrance from UTSA Blvd: no changes.

EB exit to UTSA Blvd: no changes; expect heavier volumes of traffic, however, as those blocked from using the eastbound exit will now be using this exit....

EB exit to DeZavala Road: OPEN. This ramp has been closed while crews rebuild it; it will open for regular use.

EB entrance from UTSA Blvd: no major changes. Note the currently used ramp is a temporary ramp; the permanent ramp will not open until work on the DeZavala overpass is finished.

EB exit to Fredericksburg Road: move to the permanent exit; the temporary ramp that's been used the last four months will be demolished.

That should just about cover it. Clear as mud? Check back tomorrow (Wednesday) and we'll have some graphics to show what will be open and what will be closed....

October 17-19, DeZavala Road

Webber Construction will close all lanes of DeZavala Road at I-10, forcing through traffic to turn right onto the frontage roads and head north or south, then turn around at UTSA Boulevard or at Fredericksburg Road, respectively, to reach its destination. This route has been used a handful of times before and local drivers should be familiar with the route. As always, we recommend folks look for alternate routes where possible to avoid the intersection altogether.

Webber's project managers have also requested alternating lane closures on the main lanes of I-10 over DeZavala for this work, though they say they may not need to actually close any lanes. Since traffic will be moved over onto the eastbound lanes October 10-11 it should be out of the way of the work.

October 18-19, I-10 at Ralph Fair Road, RFR itself

Sundt Construction will close all lanes of I-10 at Ralph Fair Road early October 18, a Saturday, to pour concrete. That work will begin at 4 a.m. and project bosses say they'll have lanes reopened by 7 p.m. that night.

Sundt will also close Ralph Fair Road (FM 3351) between Old Fredericksburg Road and I-10.

This set of closures exactly mimicks the closures implemented to set beams September 20-21. That closure was scheduled for two full days and crews had the highway reopened in less than 12 hours. The October closure is scheduled to be in place about 15 hours, and crews anticipate the full time will be needed.

Let's review the detours:

- Main lanes of I-10 will exit Ralph Fair Road, follow the frontage roads through the RFR intersection, and reenter the highway immediately after. Officers will be used to maximize traffic flow.

- Traffic on Ralph Fair Road coming from Camp Stanley will use Old Fredericksburg Road, turning north or south as they wish, to reach its destination.

Drivers should expect long delays and seek alternate routes, if possible.

I-10 Huebner: Traffic switch over DeZavala on deck

Webber Construction has plans to switch traffic on the I-10 main lanes over DeZavala Road the weekend of October 10-12.

This means the main lanes will be moved from where they currently run, on the westbound side of the highway, to the eastbound side, where crews have been hard at work to rebuild the overpass since June. Webber had six months to complete the work on the eastbound side of the road, meaning crews have finished the work two full months early.

Webber will have six months to finish work on the westbound side.

Over the weekend of Oct. 10-12, expect to see similar closures we saw in June for work on the eastbound side. Those closures include:

- Overnight closures of I-10 main lanes Friday night and Saturday night, leaving I-10 main lanes at a single lane each direction to restripe the roadway

- Weekend-long closure of all lanes of DeZavala Road at I-10 to demolish the I-10 bridge over DeZavala Road

Remember, this work will start Friday night around 9 p.m. and continue through the weekend, with crews finished with work and out of the way in time for Monday's morning commute.

When traffic is moved over, the westbound exit to UTSA Boulevard will close long-term. Traffic will need to either exit DeZavala and follow the frontage road to its destination or turn around at Loop 1604 to come back to UTSA Boulevard.

Webber is also working to finish the permanant eastbound entrance from UTSA Boulevard, which, when finished, will allow the eastbound exit to DeZavala Road to open. The new permanent eastbound exit to Fredericksburg Road will open.

This work is weather-dependent, including the weather over the next week-and-a-half. Any significant rains between now and October 10 could easily push this plan back a week. We'll have a firm understanding of where we stand on this schedule by Tuesday next week (October 7).

DeZavala Road closed tonight

As a reminder to everyone on the northwest side of San Antonio:

DeZavala Road will close at the intersection of I-10 tonight at 8:30 p.m.

We'll have the intersection reopened in time for the morning commute (translation: 5:30 a.m.).

The closure will allow crews with Webber Construction to set bridge support beams forming the backbone of the new eastbound I-10 overpass bridge, which was demolished for reconstruction this summer. While this work is being done, traffic on DeZavala Road will turn right onto the I-10 frontage roads and use turnarounds to get back to DeZavala Road and continue on to any late-night destinations. Just to be clear:

• If you're going east on DeZavala (that is, if you're going from the Wal-Mart to the HEB), you'll turn right onto the eastbound frontage road, then turn around at the Fredericksburg Road connector. From there, you'll follow the westbound frontage road back to DeZavala Road and continue on to your destination.
• If you're going west on DeZavala (from the HEB to the Wal-Mart), you'll turn right onto the westbound frontage road, then turn around at UTSA Boulevard. From there, you'll follow the eastbound frontage road to DeZavala Road and continue on to your destination.

For those familiar with the area, this is the exact same detour route used in July when we closed the intersection for an entire weekend to demo the bridge and set up the work area at DeZavala Road.

What does this mean for the project overall? Well, this is good news - it means Webber is running ahead of schedule to have the eastbound overpass complete and back in use by January. Once the beams are set, they'll need to do one more overnight closure (likely by mid-October) to pour concrete to form the bridge deck. Project bosses have not yet indicated if that closure will be a complete closure, or if it will be done a few lanes (of DeZavala) at a time.

One last item:

So folks are aware and can be expecting it, Webber has plans to close the main lanes of I-10 at UTSA Boulevard - in both directions - overnight for two nights next week. This work will allow bridge crews to set support beams forming the east-to-west turnaround over I-10. That closure will happen Tuesday and Wednesday nights (Sept. 9 and 10) between 8:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. nightly.

I-10 Huebner update

Let's get the big elephant in the room out of the way to start:

The night of Wednesday, September 3, Webber Construction will shut down the intersection of DeZavala Road at I-10 while bridge builders set bridge support beams. Through traffic will use turnarounds at UTSA Blvd and at Fredericksburg Road to reach its destination. The intersection will be reopened in time for the Thursday morning commute.

A slew of overnight closures at that intersection the night of September 2 and September 4 will also take place to prepare for the Wednesday night work. We will have a similar batch of closures to pour the bridge deck somewhere around September 18-19 (weather permitting).

As work at DeZavala continues through the school year, traffic at the intersection is bound to continue to build - particularly for those turning left. In an effort to relieve some of this congestion, Webber crews are working to finish work near the west-to-east turnaround at UTSA Blvd so westbound traffic can use the turnaround there to reach destinations near Wal-Mart instead of going through the DeZavala Road intersection.

Eastbound traffic headed to destinations near HEB and Home Depotcan use turnarounds at Fredericksburg Road or Huebner Road rather than turning left at the DeZavala intersection. This should help the flow of traffic at DeZavala a little through the upcoming months.

Now, time for elephant number two:

Webber will close all main lanes of I-10 at UTSA Boulevard the nights of Tuesday and Wednesday, September 9 and 10, to set bridge support beams for the east-to-west turnaround at UTSA Blvd. Traffic will exit UTSA Boulevard and travel along the frontage road to get through the area.

Eastbound lanes will close first, at 8:30 p.m. nightly. Westbound lanes will close around 10 p.m. All lanes will be reopened by 5:30 a.m.

Project bosses hope to have this work finished in a single night, but we are planning on two nights of closures to ensure enough time.

Beyond this, road crews are using nightly alternating lane closures to lay asphalt and work on barriers. Bridge builders are focused on work near UTSA Blvd and DeZavala Road. Overhead highway sign supports will also be built with routine overnight lane closures.

The project is currently running ahead of schedule for its mid-2015 completion target.

Major work on I-10 at DeZavala is ON for this weekend

We just got word at 11:30 today from the local leadership team with Webber Construction confirming this weekend's major work will indeed happen. This will mean major closures on the main lanes of I-10 between UTSA Blvd and Huebner Rd Friday night into Saturday morning and on DeZavala Road through the weekend.

Here are the closures:
- All but one lane of eastbound I-10 is scheduled to close Friday night at 8:30 p.m. and reopen at 5 a.m. Saturday.

- DeZavala Road will close at I-10 Friday night at 8:30 p.m. and reopen Monday morning at 5 a.m.

- The turnarounds under I-10 at DeZavala Road will close for a year, beginning Friday night.

- Eastbound and westbound main lanes will be limited to three 11-foot lanes each way for the next year, beginning Saturday morning.

During these closures, access will be possible for all - but it will be frustrating for most. The posted detour for DeZavala traffic is to turn right onto the frontage road, then turn around at UTSA Blvd (southbound DZV) or at Fredericksburg Rd (northbound DZV). The best thing for folks to do is find an alternate route to get to your destination. We are hoping people avoid the intersection of DeZavala Road and I-10 unless it's absolutely needed; if you're using the intersection, please plan some extra time into your commute. If you are a walker note that all through traffic under I-10 at DeZavala - including foot and bike traffic - is restricted this weekend. Walkers and bikers will need to use the crosswalks at UTSA Blvd. or at Huebner Rd. to reach their destination.

No detour is needed for traffic on I-10, but expect significant delays Friday night and Saturday.

These closures will allow Webber to tear out the eastbound side of the overpass bridge and begin a six-month process of reconstructing the bridge. The overpass will be taller, wider and longer than the current bridge is (though most of us will only notice the widening). Once the eastbound side is done, Webber will move over to the westbound side (requiring another weekend like this one).

Excavation for the new bridge support structures will begin immediately after this weekend's demolition work. Daily drivers could see the bridge support columns begin going up by the end of the month. This work can be mostly done without major closures, but folks should anticipate occasional daytime closures on the frontage roads. These won't be major, but will mirror closures Webber has had in recent weeks.

Major I-10 closures scheduled next weekend

This won't be a "granddaddy" of a closure, but it won't exactly be a picnic, either.

Now, before we move on, I want to acknowledge that we've discussed this closure before. Several times, actually. In fact, so often I fear we've become a bit like the Highway Department that keeps crying "wolf"....

Delays in work by equipment, contractor turnover and weather have pushed this work back ... well, several months. As of right now, Webber Construction has scheduled a hard date to do this work next weekend (that is, July 11-14).

Here are the closures (pending weather):

- All but one lane of eastbound I-10 is scheduled to close Friday night at 11 p.m. and reopen at 5 a.m. Saturday.

- DeZavala Road will close at I-10 Friday night through Monday morning.

- The turnarounds under I-10 at DeZavala Road will close for a year, beginning Friday night.

- Eastbound and westbound main lanes will be limited. To three 11-foot lanes for the next year, beginning Saturday morning.

As we've said before, this is part of the expansion of I-10 between Huebner Road and Loop 1604. We are also raising the bridge and making it just a bit longer to meet geometric requirements. This means knocking out the old bridges and building new ones.

This Saturday we will demo the first side, the side currently carrying eastbound traffic.

The earliest we'll know if any of this changes is Tuesday, but we want to be sure that if it does happen folks will have adequate time to plan accordingly.

I-10 Huebner report

Last weekend crews with Webber Construction closed lanes of I-10 between UTSA Blvd and Huebner Rd to do paving work that will get the area ready for the next major phase of construction. The closures were picked up at around 10 a.m., though we had approved them to be out there until noon.

That and other recent closures have been experimental as we've worked with the contractor to speed up work on the job. We learned a few lessons, including just how heavy traffic is during the late-evening commute on eastbound I-10. We will avoid main lane closures earlier the 8:30 p.m. moving forward. As for Saturday daytime closures that are out of the way by noon, we may occasionally give Webber the go-ahead - for instance, this weekend we'll see a Friday night into Saturday morning closure like last week - but we will try to not make a habit of it.

We will be allowing nightly closures of eastbound I-10 - that's total closures of the main lanes - through the week with the exception of Wednesday night (Spurs celebration). The idea is to hurry along prep work to get into that next big phase, which will mean major traffic switches at DeZavala Road. Crews will shut lanes down at 8:30 p.m., with at least one lane open unto midnight. At midnight the road will be totally closed, and lanes will reopened by 5:30 a.m.

The traffic shift on I-10 at DeZavala is planned for June 27, assuming planned work this month is done in its appointed time. Recent weather events could disrupt this schedule, but we are hoping it doesn't. Before. We get there, Webber will be working on the eastbound exit to DeZavala, which has been closed for a few weeks already. That exit will remain closed, though work to rebuild it will likely be done much sooner, until early fall. We've got some concern with the proximity if the exit ramp to a temporary entrance ramp from UTSA Blvd. The permanent ramps will be spaced well enough, but we have issues with the temporary ramps. Until the permanent entrance ramp is built, we'll keep the exit closed.

The westbound exit to DeZavala will permanently close June 19. Those headed to DeZavala will use the Woodstone exit ramp, which will have two lanes exiting at Woodstone. Webber is also adjusting the entrance ramp from Huebner, and a temporary ramp will be opened the middle of next week. The current westbound entrance ramp, up on top of the hill by Joe's Crab Shack, will be closed.

All of those changes get us ready for the big shift starting June 27. The plan for the weekend is a bit complex, and will impact traffic through the entire weekend:

Beginning Friday (June 27), Webber will close all lanes of DeZavala Road at I-10. This includes the turnarounds on both sides. Traffic will use the turnarounds at Huebner Rd or UTSA Blvd to reach its destination. Crews will close lanes of eastbound I-10 (the number of lanes hasn't been determined yet - that's being discussed) to begin demo work on the eastbound bridge.

Pedestrians will not be allowed through the intersection during this weekend.

Eastbound main lanes will reopen early Saturday morning, but the DeZavala intersection will stay closed until late Sunday night. The turnarounds at DeZavala will remain closed for about a year - they are being moved and rebuilt, and will be open when they are completed.

Cold temps versus I-10 Huebner ... and a major future closure

Cold temperatures have forced Webber Construction to reschedule concrete work to built up retaining walls along the I-10 Huebner project, making excavation work the primary focus for crews on the project this week.

Excavation on the westbound side near DeZavala Road has allowed for the construction of a detention pond system and preparatory work for the reconstruction of the DeZavala Road overpass. New retaining walls are also being built at this location.

In fact, if weather cooperates the retaining wall near the westbound exit to Woodstone Drive will be done before the end of the month. That means dirt crews and road-builders will be free to move in and construct the additional lane to the ramp. The Woodstone ramp will be the only westbound exit getting traffic to DeZavala Road when the project is finished.

Again ... that's if weather cooperates.

The heaviest excavation is between DeZavala Road and UTSA Boulevard, where a detention system is being built and preparation for the reconstruction of the DeZavala overpass bridge is underway. The detention ponds are nearly complete, with the first system (two systems are being built) awaiting a final backfill and the second nearly excavated.

Preparation for the DeZavala overpass is the reason for the narrowed lanes and lack of median shoulder through the short stretch around the busy cross-street; overnight work to build the temporary detours to allow the reconstruction of the bridge is scheduled routinely for the upcoming weeks. Of course, warmer temperatures are needed for asphalt to be laid in place.

During that reconstruction, traffic will be pushed over onto one side of the bridge - onto the current westbound side first, then onto the current eastbound side. Three lanes will be maintained in each direction, and those lanes will be reduced to about 10 feet each lane. The narrowed lanes will, no doubt, require traffic to slow down a bit while passing through the area.

This stretch of I-1o between DeZavala Road and UTSA Boulevard is being prepared for the next major milestone - the reconstruction of the DeZavala Road overpass. Lanes will be shifted over and narrowed during that milestone, which is currently set to begin

The narrowed and shifted lanes will stretch about 1,000 feet - less than a quarter of a mile. The work will take a full year to complete (six months for each side of the bridge) and is currently scheduled by Webber to begin this spring (a solid date isn't set yet).

In the meantime, the digging will continue. Retaining walls make up the bulk of taskwork between UTSA Boulevard and Huebner Road, with job site maintenance taking a prominent role while cold weather prevents concrete pours.

The big news

(Yes, we're saving the biggest news for last, to make sure you read the whole post....) At the end of this month Webber's project managers anticipate hanging beams for the new east-to-west turnaround bridge at UTSA Boulevard. This will require closing down the main lanes of I-10 overnight. We'll close down one direction at a time, with the likely scenario being (for instance) the eastbound side closed on a Friday night and the westbound side being closed on a Saturday night. Traffic would be diverted to the frontage road during these closures.

The target for this work is Feb. 28-Mar. 1 ... but that's a target. Weather and other factors may impact that target, but for now plan on seeing some major closures during that weekend.

I-10 Huebner update

Upper management with Webber Construction checked in this week on progress on the I-10 Huebner project, which has been hampered in part over the last several weeks by difficulties with some of the retaining walls along the project.

As has been written before, the soil nail walls have presented challenges to crews assigned to the project, and have caused larger portions of work to be pushed back a bit.

The visit resulted in project personnel being directed to spur the project along at a faster rate, and to find quick resolutions to the issues with the soil nail wals. Additional work crews are being committed to the project with the new year, affording some more resources to complete work in time for the end-of-2014 deadline.

Here's what all of this means for those driving in the area:

The first major traffic shift at DeZavala Road - a shift initially scheduled to take place as early as October 2013 - will happen early in the first quarter of 2014. Right now Webber is targeting early February, though a precise date has not yet been set. As part of the effort to widen I-10 by a lane in each direction, we're also lifting the DeZavala overpass bridge - which requires us to make the bridge longer as well (something about the geometry of the bridge).

This means we're effectively reconstructing the bridge, one side at a time. All told, the work at that intersection alone will take almost a full year. The eastbound side will get the work first, and traffic will be shifted over to use the current westbound side. We'll have three narrow (11 feet wide) lanes in each direction - which means the auxiliary lanes used by traffic entering and exiting the highway will be done away with.

This pinch point will, do doubt, impact the daily traffic for both morning and evening commuters.