FM 1560 Widening Project: Upcoming Traffic Switch & Nighttime Road Closure

We are approaching the finish line. For those of you who drive FM 1560 (Hausman) between SH 16 (Bandera) and LP 1604 on a regular basis, you’ve probably noticed that the end is near. We are right on schedule to finish this July.

Next week, we plan to pave the final surface lift across the entire road width and project limits. We will start paving operations on the south side and keep traffic in its current configuration. After those lanes have been paved, we will switch traffic to new pavement and move our forces to the north side.

The traffic switch will take place on Thursday, July 8.

There will also be a necessary road closure closer to the Loop 1604 side between where the newly constructed concrete median starts to the frontage road as depicted in the photo below. The closure is necessary to maintain a safe setting for the traveling public and construction crew that would otherwise be squeezed into a limited and dangerous space. The closure will be held at nighttime to avoid any major daytime traffic congestion. Drivers will be able to access their destinations through a short diversion from the SH 16 (Bandera) side or other adjacent neighborhoods.

The road closure will take place on Sunday night, July 11^th. 

Please note that this switch and road closure is weather permitting and subject to change.

FM 1560 Widening Project: Reopening Continuous Left Turn Lanes

 

Crews are ready to open the continuous left turn lane along the FM 1560 (Hausman Road) strip between Magnolia and Loop 1604. 

The traffic switch will take place on Monday, October 26. 

Necessary improvements to the underground storm networks along the centerline of the roadway that had forced us to switch all traffic to two lanes are now complete. We would like to extend our appreciation for your patience, understanding and input during this time. 

Please note that this switch is weather permitting and subject to change. 

Stay connected on TxDOT San Antonio’s Twitter feed, @TxDOTSanAntonio, for ongoing construction and traffic updates.

FM 1560 Widening Project: Upcoming Traffic Switch

 We are continuing to make progress on the FM 1560 (Hausman) strip between SH 16 (Bandera) and LP 1604. As you may have noticed, the north side of the project is near completion. Looking over the work zone barrier, you will be able to see a fresh, smooth blacktop surface with new curb and sidewalk.  

It’s time the contractor turns their attention to the south side of the project. In order to do so, traffic must be switched to the newly paved surface between Magnolia Way and LP 1604 as highlighted in the image below.

The traffic switch will take place on Monday, August 24^th.

Necessary improvements to the underground storm networks along the centerline of the roadway force us to eliminate the continuous left turn lane within those limits. 

However, you would miss it only temporarily. The contractor predicts that the opening of a continuous left turn lane would follow this change within a month and a half.  

We do understand the inconvenience eliminating the continuous left turn lane would cause. We have taken proactive measures and brainstormed all plausible alternatives but have concluded that it is the fastest and safest option moving forward for both the contractor and public.

Please note that this switch is weather permitting and subject to change.

What's going on with FM 1560?

Those living in the Helotes area may (or may not) have a few questions about the haps on FM 1560. Well, here are the answers.

Low water crossing

A few weeks ago Dan Williams Company started setting up a work zone on FM 1560 between Wynstone Place and Parrigin Road. The $1.4 million project replaces box culverts with a bridge that will prevent the road from being closed for high water during future storms.
For now the only impact to traffic is having the roadway lanes shifted a bit to create a safe work zone as crews do work on the south side of the road. Expect to see several traffic shifts as work continues to progress.
Overall completion of the work is expected near the start of 2018.

The old gas station near the Bandera Rd intersection
The old Shell Station at the intersection of FM 1560 and Hwy 16 has been vacant for a few months at this point and is being demolished. Why?
Well, because (in part) we're going to reconstruct that intersection. FM 1560 will have a four-way intersection at Riggs Road and intersect with Hwy 16 right next to 2 Fat Guys. Here's a look (click to enlarge):

For those who check out the project information page we created after holding our open house on the project, we are not building the superstreet through Helotes at this point. To be honest, we don't have that work currently programmed or funded; it's an idea we're still playing with, but not something to expect in the next couple of years.
The intersection work, though, is moving forward later this month. The folks with Dan Williams will be doing this $3.4 million project as well, which should be done by the end of summer 2018.

Mail Bag: Questions on city and county projects, work on northwest side

What are the plans and ETA of the Potranco Road expansion and connecting of Hwy 211?
- Noel (via Twitter)
Great question, Noel. The Potranco Road expansion between Lp 1604 and Hwy 211 is being done as a pass-through project and is overseen (actually, pretty much completely managed) by Bexar County Public Works. According to their project page the project just got going and will wrap up the end of 2018.
As for details on the project as it continues ... those questions should go to Bexar County. When the project is finished, TxDOT will maintain responsibility for upkeep.

Can you give us an update on the Tezel/Grissom construction?
- Jeremy (via Twitter)
If you're asking about the work Tezel Road, that's a city project and they have updates posted on their Web site. If you're asking about the work on Culebra Road ... well, that's ours.
On the Culebra project our crews are laying the final surface of asphalt. We're all done with the curbs and medians (and have been since around Christmas), and as long as we get some dry weather we could be done in as little as three weeks of solid work.

Yesterday on Blanco & Midnight Drive there was a long progression of traffic cones (3' high ones) that seems to stretch for miles north (didn't confirm but it was definitely more than a mile. I don't see any scheduled construction on your blog. Can you shed any light on this?
- Shawn (via Blog)
We got a few calls on this one, and we're still scrambling to find a clear answer. We checked with Bexar County, who maintains this segment of Blanco Road, and they don't have work at that location. That leaves possible suspects as utilities companies like CPS Energy and SAWS.
One thing we do know is the project isn't a TxDOT project - last year the state handed over control of Blanco Road north of Wilderness Oak to Bexar County Public Works.

Are there any plans for (FM 471 or FM 1560) or a signal on FM 471 at Stillwater Ranch?
- Pete (via Twitter)
The short answer: YES.
Longer answer ... well, we're working with the county on several options. For FM 471, we have plans that are more impending. That work will be done as a pass-through project (just as Potranco Road is being done) and Bexar County will manage that work. That expansion is a $16.8 million project set to start later this year and wrap up (most likely) early 2018. It'll expand FM 471 to match what's there by Taft High School and extend from FM 1560 almost to Talley Road. More info is here.
As for FM 1560, we're working on an expansion project to run from Galm to FM 471. A firm timeline isn't ready yet, but it'll expand FM 1560 to two lanes with a center left-turn lane. We also know there's a need for expansion between Galm/Shaenfield and Bandera Road, so we're looking at that. The biggest challenge for that will be right-of-way acquisition (which hasn't yet begun).

Once the new overhead connector between 1604 and 151 eastbound is complete, will cars using it be able to exit at Wiseman or will the first available exit be beyond that point?
- Bob (via blog)
In short, you'll use the next exit (Westover Hills) and turn around to get to Wiseman from Alamo Ranch Parkway. Because pictures are worth a thousand words, here's a look (it helps to click on the image and make it bigger):

So excited about the highway opening! Wondering if you know anything at all about what the process looks like for getting the addresses changed to 1604 now that it's complete. Thanks!
- Jamye (via blog)
We actually don't know the process - it's odd. We made several calls to the folks in our department and the overwhelming consensus was to work through your local Postmaster General. There is an interesting blog post on the topic, though.

Have surveys been done to figure out why the (morning) rush hour traffic eastbound I-10 from Fair Oaks Ranch Parkway to around Camp Bullis, and the (evening) rush hour traffic on the westbound side anywhere from UTSA Blvd to La Cantera through Camp Bullis is as terrible as it is? ...What is being done to alleviate that traffic?
- Gerard (via blog)
If you're asking if we've been conducting traffic studies along that corridor, the answer is yes. To put a not-too-fine point on the issue, the real cause here is a rapid increase in development and population along the I-10 corridor.
We've got an active project converting frontage roads between Dominion Drive and Boerne Stage Road, which includes some ramp rearrangements that will help traffic flow once the project is done later this summer.
But that's probably not going to fix everything you're talking about - which involves pinch points at Loop 1604 and at Camp Bullis. One fix that's coming for that is an expansion of I-10 between La Cantera Parkway and Ralph Fair Road. That's coming next year, if all goes well. As for improving the interchange at Loop 1604 ... well, we're working on that one.

Mail Bag: Safety cables, sidewalks and traffic signals - and a whole lot more....

I was wondering when the median cables on I-10 between the Bexar County line and Leon Springs would be repaired. Quite a few are down or are bent. When they are like that is does not seem to protect like they are supposed to. Thank you.
- Michael
Michael, thanks for your note. We have similar issues with our new cable median barriers along Hwy 151 as well - they've become victim to car crashes. We are issuing work orders as quickly as we can to get these barriers repaired.

Just how important is the safety of the Schertz residents during the construction of these sidewalks (along FM 3009)? How rude can the construction crew be and how much screaming are they allowed to do at pedestrians who are trying to walk to work safely? My son, walked on the dry sidewalk for safety reasons, was screamed at to get off, and almost hit by two cars. The construction along the entire length of FM 3009 is so messed up, no safe place for people to walk safely along the road now exists. At least before the sidewalks began it was possible for people to walk to work and not be hit by oncoming traffic. Now the only options are to get hit or get screamed at. Your construction crew have no right to be screaming at anyone. Let them work in the street so the pedestrians may safely walk. They owe many, many apologies! Even as a driver who had to pull over into one of the closed lanes I was yelled at. We don't need sidewalks this badly, if this is how we have to get them. Send your crew packing!
- Therese
Therese, thank you for writing. I hope you'll note we did our best to keep your whole message to us intact - we want to be fully transparent here. We did edit for clarity of your issue.
Let us first apologize for the way it appears you've been treated. We will discuss the matter with our contractors - they need to be better ambassadors than that. Courtesy should be held at all times, by all parties.
That said, we should address a few issues. First, at no time should any vehicle ever pull into a lane closed for use as an active construction zone. This is a serious safety hazard. While drivers who do so absolutely do not deserve to be verbally accosted, they are rightly asked to move along by construction crews. Let all other drivers take note: pulling over into a closure area is unsafe and should never be done. Look for an empty parking lot to pull into if you're looking to pull over for any reason whatsoever.
Prior to this project starting no safe route to walk along FM 3009 existed. The purpose of this project is to create one. While concrete may appear to be dry, it was likely a fresh pour from the prior day or two. While walking on the sidewalk may not leave footprints, it's still not an opened sidewalk. It's part of an active construction zone and is dangerous to walk in.
To be clear: no pedestrian should ever walk in or through an active construction zone except where a specifically marked pedestrian detour route has been laid out. In this case, no pedestrian detour route was put into place because the area had no prior pedestrian facilities. That said, we can look into options to help that situation out so your son can reach his destination as intended.

Any plans to relieve the congestion on FM1560 between Bandera Road and Shaenfield Road?
-Zane
In a word: yes! The problem is funding. While we don't have anything programmed for that area right now, we do have this on our radar. In order to accomplish that we'll need to acquire right-of-way and go through the whole process of designing and public meetings ... we're a few years away.
Here's the good news: the work on Lp 1604 is only a few short months from finishing up, and a lot of the excess traffic that's on FM 1560 to escape the construction delays will return to a much more efficient Lp 1604 at that time. While that should help, it won't solve anything.
Which is why we're working with the city of Helotes to find a way to expedite work that otherwise may wait five years or more.

Regarding the eastbound I-10 on-ramp from Scenic Loop Road, the ramp seems too short and barricades block the shoulder so merging traffic doesn't have space to speed up. Can anything be done to help?
- Resident
Truthfully, the ramp hasn't changed in length whatsoever - it's been untouched in our traffic control plan for the reconstruction of that intersection. The concrete traffic barrier was placed at that location due to a drop-off that would be a serious safety issue, so moving the barrier isn't a viable solution. That said, we'll keep a watchful eye out to see if there are any issues we can address during the construction phasing to improve the area and ensure drivers are able to adequately speed up to the posted limit of 70 miles per hour prior to needing to merge.

I realize that it's always been two lanes of Boerne Stage Road under I-10. That's the problem: two lanes is not enough with current traffic loads. When does TxDOT plan to open up all four lanes under I-10? That would greatly relieve the current traffic nightmare there.
- Andy
You're absolutely right, Andy. Having all four lanes open will help. That's why we're building them! We're hoping to have some more lane configurations open up along that whole project next month. We'll have more on the blog next week to describe what all is happening and what folks in the area may expect.

What's going on with the traffic light at New Guilbeau and 1604? Why was it out for so long?
-Zane
For those not familiar with the area, Zane is referring to a malfunction of the signal control box that occurred late Monday and wasn't fixed until mid-morning Tuesday this week. Such a delayed response is highly uncharacteristic, and is partly due to the project staff not even learning about the malfunction until Tuesday morning. Once the malfunction was discovered by project personnel they had crews in place to address the issue within a few short hours.
Several folks - some of us here at TxDOT included - were caught in the traffic delays and spent as much as 45 extra minutes to get through New Guilbeau Road that morning.
The good news: lesson learned. We were able to get officers on site relatively quickly Tuesday morning to direct traffic. What's more, we've got methods in place to be more diligent about inspecting these signals, even during holidays. We shouldn't see this problem again.
Better news: we should all be driving on the overpasses and expressways before the school year lets out, so this sort of thing won't be such an impact should it happen again in the future.

Will there eventually be a better way to get on Wurzbach Parkway going east from 281? Right now, you have to do the turnaround to get to the east entrance.
- Pam 
Pam, you must be talking about the southbound US 281 to eastbound Wurzbach Parkway movement. Honestly, no - this is the configuration we've had planned for years. Because of the proximity to the airport we can't build the much taller direct connectors (requiring at least two additional levels of roadway, increasing our elevation by some 60 or more feet) that would ease that movement. What's more, we simply don't have the $500 million in the bank to construct direct connectors for Wurzbach and US 281.
So, for the foreseeable future (10 years or more), the current arrangement is what we'll have out there for you - just as we'd discussed from day one with the project.

"That's not our project"

The four most frustrating words people who call the department hear, no doubt, is "that's not our project".

Those words, that phrase, means the caller will need to continue to hunt through the various layers of state and local bureaucracy to find the proper agency responsible for the project that has generated the discontent or complaint waiting to be lodged.

Truth is, we hate to say those words as much as folks hate hearing them.

This week, though, we've been saying that phrase quite a bit. We've gotten a number of calls, emails and other contacts regarding an issue on FM 1560 just north of Culebra Road (between Culebra Road and Silver Pointe). Motorists are seeing a section of roadway that's been milled, and cars are hitting a lip in the pavement that's jarring their cars and, in some cases, causing damage.

(Milled roadway is roadway where the top layer of asphalt has been removed through a process of grinding and excavation....)

While the roadway is a state-maintained road - FM 1560 - the work is part of a Yantis Construction development nearby. This is a private development and is not something TxDOT is particularly involved in. Yantis is building turn lanes into their new development on the east side of FM 1560, requiring the milling in order to properly tie the new lane into the existing roadway surface. TxDOT folks have discussed the issue with Yantis and instructed them to provide a better taper on the roadway, and we are being told that will happen this week.

Anyone who has an issue with the area, or who would like to lodge a complaint of any kind, may contact Sam DeLaRosa with Yantis at 210-655-3780.

Hausman Road meeting TONIGHT

An open house meeting is being held tonight at the Helotes City Hall to discuss plans for Hausman Road outside Loop 1604. That meeting will run from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m.

Hausman Road, from Loop 1604 to Bandera Road, is labeled FM 1560 on the state highways register. Between Loop 1604 and I-10 - inside the loop - Hausman Road is a city road, and work on that segment is ongoing under the direction of San Antonio's Department of Public Works.

For now, Hausman Road is all TxDOT's between the loop and Bandera Road; it's a secondary entryway into Helotes, and is the home of the Helotes Post Office.

TxDOT has plans to expand the road to a four-lane road with a center left turn lane, bike lanes and sidewalks - essentially matching the road the city is building inside the loop. For now, that plan is fairly general; no details have been etched in stone. This open house is an opportunity for folks who wish to have input on the project make sure they get a chance to be heard.

The open-house format will also allow people to ask questions of TxDOT planners and other staff.

Again, the meeting is tonight, Feb. 27, from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Helotes City Hall on Bandera Road.