Mail Bag: A month-plus worth of questions

Does TxDOT evaluate drainage conditions on major roads after a major rain?
The left lane of the southbound 281 access road between Bitters and Wurzbach Parkway was under water Monday morning (9/26). The on-ramp to 281 was also under water with a stalled car on the ramp. Since there was not a flood gauge on the side of the road, it was hard to know how much water was on the on-ramp.
- Tom
We do take a look for problem areas and find ways to address these areas as needed after our major flood events. At your location we don't have a posted flood gauge because it's not the location of a creek bed. Per our Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices:
"If used, the Depth Gauge sign shall be in addition to the ROAD MAY FLOOD, WATER CROSSING, or WHEN FLOODED TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN sign and shall indicate the depth of the water at the deepest point on the roadway." (Section 2C.35.03)

That same section tells us not to post a "water crossing" sign where water only occasionally or temporarily crosses due to flash floods, like this instance. The "road may flood" sign is for areas with frequent flooding issues. This little section of the southbound frontage road of US 281 does not qualify for one of these signs.

Do you know when will they begin to finish the clover on 1604 and 281? What is the projected duration of the project? Will they be expanding 281 from 1604 to Overlook Parkway and be adding bridges across the highway - for example, at Evans Road? Thanks.
- Sal
Are you talking about the other direct connectors at the intersection of Lp 1604 and US 281? Those are part of a project expanding US 281 to include overpasses and frontage roads through Stone Oak Parkway. That project is set to begin spring 2017 and will take more than three years to complete. Continuing the expressway from Stone Oak Parkway through the Comal County line is targeted for the winter of 2018-2019.

Can VIA provide new or modified bus route(s) to relieve traffic congestion in the Alamo Ranch area (e.g, Wiseman west of 1604, Alamo Ranch Parkway, Culebra & FM 1560, etc.)?
- Richard
This would be a fantastic question to pose to VIA; we can't speak on their behalf.

Regarding the "zipper merge", does the "merge at the last minute" rule apply to lanes which are used for entrance and exit ramps such as the ones on Loop 1604 between I-10 and Blanco Rd? Would it be possible to post "zipper merge" signs at several needed places in San Antonio?
-Tom
To be honest, we're still fleshing out the best places for us to use the late merge or "zipper" as well as signing policies. One place you should always use it is when you're approaching a construction zone or a crash scene that's got lanes closed off. Remember - this really only applies during heavy traffic. If traffic is free flowing and not all that congested, merge as soon as you feel comfortable.
As for what to do at those ramp merge points, a good rule of thumb is to not cross a solid line. Wait for the broken line. That's supposed to show drivers where merging is to be done, but not everyone has gotten that memo.

Hi, I think someone wrote up the construction notices incorrectly this week. Your notice said "Current through Wednesday, October 19. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, at Hwy 151. Alternating lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will use the frontage roads to reach its destination."
1604 was closed off in the middle of the day all day Saturday, causing backups and gridlock. What happened here?
- Rick
Rick, you're absolutely correct. We completely missed the note regarding that closure and dropped the ball. We depend on contractors sending in closure alerts weekly by Thursday night in order to allow our communication staff time to get everything compiled into a weekly report. Sometimes a contractor misses this Thursday deadline, and we're working on getting accountability written into our contracts to prevent this. We're also working to ensure accountability exists when no notice is given.
In this case, it was an oversight - one that won't soon be repeated.

How far towards Canyon Lake is the FM 306 expansion project going to go?
All the way thru to Hgy 281?
- LD
The current work we have going runs from about Hunter Road and ends at River Chase. We have another project at the intersection of Bravo, near Canyon Lake, but that's constructing a left-turn lane at that location and won't expand the road beyond that.

What is the purpose of the new overpass at I-10 and Leon Spring Road?
- Jim
Jim, we're assuming you're talking about the work at Old Fredericksburg Road. If we're wrong, let us know.
We do get asked about the purpose from time to time, and some folks assume it's a widening project that will add capacity to the I-10 main lanes. It's not. All we're doing is adding this new overpass at Old Fred and converting the frontage roads to one-way.
The frontage road conversion is the key here; it's about safety, really. We're hoping to eliminate the excuse those on two-way frontage roads have when they end up driving the wrong way on an interstate. In order to do that, though, we need to shorten the distance for folks between their access point to I-10 and their feeder road. Old Fred cuts the distance between Ralph Fair and Fair Oaks roughly in half.
It also provides an additional distribution route for traffic from the growing Leon Springs/Fair Oaks Ranch area to reach I-10. Right now all that traffic is squeezed into Ralph Fair and through Fair Oaks. With this overpass and its accompanying entrances and exits, we're effectively adding a third option for folks to use in order to reach I-10 and commute into town as they are.

When will the construction of the north bound I-10 off ramp at Hwy 46 in Boerne be completed? This has been going on with little completion for over a year and there doesn't seem to be much current effort to complete it. This intersection is a daily mess. Thanks!
- Mike
We're still looking at spring 2017 for completion of this project. We don't have anything going on at the intersection, though, so we shouldn't really be impacting that much at all. None of the lane shifts we've had there actually impacts the operation of the intersection. What you're likely seeing in your daily commute is additional traffic from a rapidly growing section of Boerne.

On Hwy 46 just East of Boerne the speed limits coming into town are way to fast. There has already been a fatality accident in that area. Traffic should slow down before the Esperonza sub division. Traffic from there to Charger Blvd should not be 50 mph, and from there to the bend at the Kendall County Fair Grounds should be lower than 45. Speed is a proven factor in all accidents. This area is becoming very populated. The limits really need to be lowered. Please!
- Rodney
Rodney, there's a specific process for setting our speed limits and our processes rarely yield a lowered speed limit. That said, we checked with our traffic engineer, who dug this information out for us about a rarely used provision in our policy allowing local governments to conduct their own speed studies on state highways, then make their own recommendation to us:

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TxDOT’s Procedures for Establishing Speed Zones, Chapter 4, Section 2Speed Zones Unacceptable to a CityAlthough TxDOT has the authority to alter the speed limits on highways within the corporate limits of cities or override a speed limit set by city ordinance on such highways, it is intended that studies be made and recommendations be presented to the city for their acceptance and passage of a city ordinance to establish city speed zones. TxDOT should make every effort to have reasonable speed limits established.In the event that a city will not accept the zones within its corporate limits as submitted by the district, and it is not possible to reach an agreement with the city on reasonable and prudent speed limits, then the district should prepare one strip map showing the city’s preference and one strip map showing TxDOT’s  recommendation. Both strip maps should be submitted to TRF along with the district’s request for Transportation Commission action for making one of the zones effective.  When the commission minute order has been passed, the district should send a copy of the minute order, along with a copy of the strip map, to the city.The setting of speed limits within a city by commission minute order should only be used as a last resort; TxDOT should make every effort to secure the cooperation of the city so that the zones will be set by city ordinance.

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Rain, rain, go away....

May 2016 has brought some of the worst flooding on record in Texas. Flash floods brought by torrential downpours seems to have become a way of life the last year-plus. East Texas - particularly around Houston - has been hit the worst, logging more than 100 inches of rainfall since March 2015. Bexar County sits at some 60-70 inches over that period, by the way.
Still, as wet as it's been, let's not forget last May was worse - we got nearly 8 inches of rain in a single month at that point. (The infographic and those memes making their way through Facebook right now are actually about last May, not the one that just finished....)
At any rate, it's been a really wet spring. The impacts to our daily lives have been well documented and you've heard us make the #TurnAroundDontDrown cry pretty darned often. Heck, we even posted on it.
Now the water is receding and we're seeing sunnier skies. We're not out of the wet just yet - more is predicted for the weekend - but we're getting a break. With the sun out, so are our construction crews. In some areas you'll likely see activity pick up to a flurry to try to make up for any potentially lost time.
With that in mind, here's a run-down of the impacts of the rain on our biggest of construction projects (if we miss a project you're interested in, let us know by submitting a question for our mail bag).

 New Braunfels
Walnut Ave - Despite the wet weather crews with Dean Word were able to open Walnut to a single lane each direction before the Memorial Day weekend. Crews still have quite a bit of concrete work remaining to finish the job. That work should be wrapped up in July.
FM 306 - Hunter Industries hasn't seen any major impacts due to weather, and are moving forward with the expansion of FM 306 between Hunter Road and Hoffman Lane.

Boerne/Fair Oaks Ranch
I-10 at Scenic Loop Road - Wet weather set crews back about two weeks on their efforts to expand the intersection of Scenic Loop Road at I-10. That said, we fully expect this project should recover the time over the course of the summer. If you drive this area, expect to see work intensify with warmer and dryer weather.
I-10 Fair Oaks Ranch - The biggest impact has been the delay of moving traffic of the I-10 main lanes over away from the median area, where the bulk of construction will take place as we build a new overpass at Old Fredericksburg Road. That traffic shift was scheduled to happen mid-May; we were only able to get that done on the eastbound side. Right now Sundt Construction is aiming to have the westbound side shifted late June.
I-10 Leon Springs - A lot of the work on the new exit and entrance ramps between Boerne Stage Road and Dominion Drive has been pushed back a couple of weeks, but Texas Sterling Construction is confident they'll be able to make up that time over the summer. That means, of course, a lot more activity as weather allows - we're trying to wrap this project up as close to the end of summer as we can.

San Antonio
I-35 near SAMMC - The asphalt work planned for the last four weeks on the main lanes near Splashtown keeps getting pushed back, and is again slated to happen this weekend (expect major main lane closures for that work). We still have concrete work as well. This project was all set to wrap up right about now until the rain started pummeling us in April; right now we're looking at wrapping up in July. As for work on the interchanges at I-410 and the new exits and entrances at Rittiman, Eisenhauer and Walzem ... well, LANE Construction is telling us the delays haven't been anything they can't make up over the summer.
FM 78 - This work to widen FM 78 under Loop 1604 out in the Converse/Universal City area has actually pushed back a full month due to weather. The biggest victim to RELMCo's work here is the new roadway base for the widened portions - it's tough, after all, to get good compaction on fine dirt when the rain just won't stop. This project, to be frank, is still waiting for the ground to dry out enough to begin that base work before it starts progressing again at a good pace.
Loop 1604 Northwest - Somehow Williams Brothers Construction seems to remain relatively unfazed by the rain, but will be on a much-bolstered work schedule to have expansion of Loop 1604 between Bandera and Culebra roads complete by next week. This will require a slew of (let's be honest) frustrating closures drivers will encounter, but the consolation is the fact we're at the end of the job. These closures are allowing crews to lay asphalt and paint, which are about all that's left to do on the job. We still have some concrete work - which will also require occasional frontage road closures - but the bottom line is work should be wrapped up next week. Again, if this is your commute, expect to see intermittent delays through the end of next week ... and then thing should be a whole lot better.
Hwy 151 and I-410 - Well, the old eastbound on-ramp from Potranco still isn't open and the driveways in and out of Westover Marketplace are still being worked on. This is all stuff that had initially been anticipated to be finished in April, for those keeping track. Then April rains washed us back. Then May rains came, and kept on coming. We're hoping for a much more dry June to help us get this stuff all done. The good news is Williams Brothers Construction has kept their bridge crews busy, getting as much aerial work done as possible. This should minimize the overall delay on this project, which is set to finish in 2018.

Walnut Avenue to open TODAY (and other New Braunfels updates)

It's been a while since our last update on projects in the New Braunfels area ... and now we've got something kind of major happening today. Here's the scoop:

Walnut Avenue
Lead with the biggest story, right? By the end of business today we'll have Walnut Avenue opened up to traffic. It'll only be one lane in each direction (so, basically, exactly what was out there when we shut things down last year).
Traffic will be using the center lanes to traverse the hill. Crews are still doing concrete work across the project, so we're keeping those outside lanes closed the next several weeks while crews wrap things up.

The center line is striped and traffic cones mark the closed-off outside lanes. Walnut Ave should be ready to open today.

Once concrete work is complete paving crews will lay the final surface of asphalt to give a final product. We hope that final product will be delivered by the end of July.

FM 306
One of the biggest issues along FM 306 near New Braunfels is the traffic load at the intersection of Hoffman Lane - largely due to school in the mornings and in the afternoons.
We currently have a project going between Hoffman and Hunter that's expanding FM 306 to four lanes (plus a center left-turn lane and shoulders large enough for bicycles), and we're right now about one-third the way through this project. By the way, we have another project set to go for bids later this year that will extend this work on out to River Chase.
At any rate, we've been asked about the impact on that approach to Hoffman Elementary School. Here's what we'll have things looking like when we're finished:

Just for comparison, here's what's out there now:

Note only one through lane in each direction and the lack of sidewalks and bike areas ... the finished product will be a huge help to folks driving through the region on the daily.

Hwy 46 at US 281
If you're thinking how embarrassing it must be for us to see so much infrastructure pop up around us faster than it's taken for us to build some simple turnarounds, you're absolutely right. Those turnarounds should have been finished months ago, and we're still docking CRG about $20,000 each month we're not finished. The latest estimates show the project wrapping up before school starts this fall; we plan to do all we can to see this job finished earlier than that, even, if possible.

FM 1101
Most of the utility conflicts that have kept us from doing this work (and, yes, we've been waiting more than a year and a half on this now) are out of the way. At this point the project hinges on some discussions between our higher administrative folks and their counterparts with Hunter Industries. When Hunter bid the project in 2014, they did so under prices valid in 2014. Well, it's been two years and things have changed. Both parties are looking for an equitable middle ground to settle on and allow work to get going.
Once work begins - which we hope will be very soon - we expect about a year and a half of overall construction time.

Comal County projects roundup

It's been a while - like, since at least last year. Isn't it about time we gave a run-down on the happenings in and around Comal County?
Here's a look:

Walnut Hill
To put it simply, Dean Word Company is nearly three-quarters the way done with the project. The most visible portion of the project, though - the full closure of Walnut Avenue between Grandview and Floral - has been stretched even further over the last month. Initially slated to reopen mid-December, we are now looking at waiting for late March to reopen the roadway. The biggest reason here is safety.
The original plan called for opening Walnut Avenue to one lane each way. Concerns of rubber-necking through a canyon with limited sight distances has led project bosses to work with city officials and come to a later opening agreement.
A lot of work remains, but construction is progressing well. Crews have begun setting up a sound wall along the canyon and are finishing up drain structures. Perhaps nicest for those living in the immediate vicinity, cleanup at the top of the hill has begun while crews prepare to do concrete work.


Loop 337 at Ridge Hill
The striping contractor is scheduled to come through early next week to restripe the roadway and provide for a new left-turn lane. We are also working to add a new ditch line to the project and fix the barricades that have occasionally drifted into the travel lanes.

FM 1101
To be completely honest, we're still waiting on a private utility to complete work they began more than a year ago. Current estimates place completion of the utility work sometime this spring. We will then move forward with the project.

US 281 at Hwy 46
The biggest thing to report her is we're more than 80 percent of the way finished with this project. This project has admittedly moved extremely slow and we are assessing the contractor, CRG, appropriate liquidated damages. With the walls nearly complete, dirt crews will begin grading the new turnarounds next week with the aim to start laying asphalt by the middle of the month. We are holding bi-weekly meetings with the contractor to keep them moving, and hope to have work complete in time for summer.

FM 306
Hunter Industries is moving along well, working primarily on drain structures and extensions to existing box culverts. As a relatively new project, we don't have much else to report at this time. This project is scheduled to finish up in 2017.

I-35 ramp reversals
The only thing we really have left at this point is a quick resurfacing of the southbound frontage road. That should eliminate the issues we have with the glare during certain times of the day.

Upcoming projects
Lots of work is coming on the horizon, but here are the highlights:

• Resurfacing of I-35 between Solms Rd and the river. This work should start late spring or early summer. This should only feature overnight work.
• Pedestrian and bike facility improvements along Landa Street. This work will begin this summer.
• Rehabilitate Hwy 46 between I-35 and FM 758. This is an extensive repair job that will start this fall.
• Reconstruct the I-35 bridge at FM 1103 and widen FM 1103 between I-35 and Steele High School. This work is programmed for early 2017.
• Loop 337 expansion. We're actually working to make this a one-piece project rather than complete work in segments as initially planned. We hope to begin work mid-2017.
• Expansion of Hwy 46 in Bulverde. This is currently planned for late 2017.

Upcoming meetings
You're getting everything with this post! Don't miss out on some MAJOR meetings we have coming up. Mark these on your calendar and be sure to join us to give your thoughts on some very important issues:

• Feb. 16, 6p-8p at Eden Hill. Open house forum regarding future work on Loop 337.
• March 1, 6p-8p at the New Braunfels Civic Center. Metropolitan Planning Organization presentation on projects being considered for federal funding.
• March 3, 5p-7p at Smithson Valley High School. Open house forum regarding the expansion of Hwy 46 in Bulverde.
• March 29, 5p-7p at Steele High School. Open house forum regarding future work on FM 1103.

Beyond Bexar: Hwy 306, Walnut, FM 1516

This weekend crews will close FM 1516 at Crestway in Converse for some emergency repair work on a box culvert. Work on FM 306 between Hunter Road and Hoffman Lane will start the week after Thanksgiving. Weather issues has delayed the projected opening of Walnut Avenue in New Braunfels.

So ... let's get into all that.

FM 1516
This is the most pressing issue and is our strongest place to start. CRG Construction will close FM 1516 at Crestway Friday night at 8 p.m. and will reopen the road by 5:30 a.m. Monday (Nov. 23). Through the weekend traffic will be detoured on Loop 1604 and FM 78.

Crews will continue work the weeks of and after Thanksgiving with daily closures of a single lane, with flaggers posted to control traffic as needed. The traffic signal at the intersection of FM 1516 and Crestway will be adjusted to flash a red light during this time; flashing red lights are to be treated as a four-way stop sign. The signal will be returned to normal function when the work is complete.
The work will repair a box culvert running across the road that's worn down with age.

Walnut Avenue
When Dean Word Company closed Walnut Avenue earlier this year to construct new roadway lanes as part of a project expanding Walnut to four lanes (two each way) between Landa and Kerlick, the goal was to have Walnut Avenue reopened for through traffic in time for Christmas.
Then the weather came. Over the course of 2015 crews lost about a month (maybe a little more) of good work time. While crews were able to catch some of that up through the dry months of summer, our current projection shows Walnut Avenue reopening in January.
In the meantime Dean Word has been able to finish almost all the drain structures along this project and, as a group of dignitaries from the city of New Braunfels say, the mechanically stabilized wall has been erected relatively quickly. As the wall goes up higher the anchors used get longer, requiring the need to cut deeper into what was the existing roadway - which is why we won't be ready to open the new lanes quite by Christmas. Dean Word remains committed to do well in their hometown, though, and are working hard to have the road reopened in January.
The overall project is slated to wrap up summer 2016.

FM 306
Hunter Industries finished this year the overpasses over the UPRR crossings between I-35 and Hunter Road (well, a little beyond Hunter Road). Now they're going to work on expanding the road, starting where they left off, through Hoffman Lane.
The project itself, an $8 million effort, will continue for about a year and a half - so folks should expect to see a final product in 2017. When we're all done we'll have two lanes in each direction with curbs and sidewalks - effectively matching what now exists between I-35 and Hunter Road. A center left-turn lane will be included at strategic locations.
While closures will be minimal - we're expanding on both sides of the roadway - drivers in the area should expect normal road construction delays associated with the project during their daily commute.

Comal County round-up

It's been a while since we've written about the projects active in Comal County ... lots has happened! In addition to a project wrapping up, we've got one project about to start and another nearing completion.

FM 306

So we're finished with the overpasses between I-35 and Hunter Road, improving dramatically the drive from I-35 to the Gruene area (and beyond).
With that project behind us we're ready to get going on the next major project in the area. Hunter Industries, the company that built the overpasses on and widened FM 306 up to Hunter Road, will widen FM 306 to Hoffman Lane. The look and feel of the finished product will match what's there up to Hunter Road. For those not familiar, that means two lanes in each direction with a center left-turn lane where needed.
Work on the new FM 306 project is already starting up, and folks should start seeing crews on site within the next few weeks. The project will wrap up in 2017.

Walnut Ave

 Though folks can't really see the progress each day, we're moving along pretty well. One of our two large retaining walls that will hold up the area we're expanding the roadway through the canyon area is nearing completion and the other is about halfway finished.
The toughest part of any road job is getting the drain system put in - most of that is finished. We've got a few items left through the canyon area, but that will be taken care of as the retaining walls near completion.
The big-ticket item is the opening date for Walnut Avenue - that is, when we anticipate reopening the road for through traffic. For that, we are currently on schedule for the end of the year.
Overall project completion is scheduled for summer 2016.

Conrads-Kohlenberg

Those driving the area often have found southbound exit 191 - that is, the southbound exit to FM 306 - closed earlier this month. This will allow Dan Williams Company to wrap up some of the frontage road work closer to FM 306. The new exit will be opened in mid-October.
In the meantime, traffic is using exit 193 (the exit for Conrads-Kohlenberg) to reach FM 306. The detour only adds time spent on the frontage road, and requires no real route change for folks.
The work being done out there is actually about the entrance and exit ramps; we're "reversing" the ramps. That is, where the exit ramp was a new entrance ramp will be; where the entrance ramp was a new exit ramp will be. The idea is to improve traffic flow and allow a bypass for those who would ordinarily have to go through the intersection of FM 306 to reach their destination via the I-35 main lanes.
The project is on target to wrap up later this year.

Projects wrapping up - Hill Country area

This month has been really light on posts - we know. We've got a TON of information to get out, and the logjam of info has led to a dearth of posts. So, we're just going to start taking a bite at a time to get this info out to you.

Today, we're starting with a brief rundown of projects about to wrap up in the Hill Country area. For the purposes of this post, this includes Comal, Kendall and Kerr counties. We'll actually go in that order ... so, here's a look at Comal County area projects:

FM 306

Beginning Monday, July 13, Hunter Industries will begin laying a final course of asphalt on the road between I-35 and a little west of Hunter Road. This work will require daily alternating lane closures to allow for paving crews to do their work, but folks should have at least one lane each way to push through the area.

After about a week or so of paving, paint crews will lay pavement markings and you'll have a final product. Concrete work is finished already and crews have already set sod in place. All that's left, really, is the pavement and paint. That, and a final tweak of the traffic signals (which will be done while painters do their thing).

All told this project should be completed and done by the end of the month.

I-35 resurfacing

For those unfamiliar with this, what we're talking about here is the stretch of I-35 between FM 3009 and Solms Road. This is a $9.9 million project that's been going on since spring of 2014. We've had some delays due to materials, equipment failures or weather - pushing us back from what should have been a four-month project duration. Despite the delays, we're happy with the product and the drive between Schertz and New Braunfels is pretty darned smooth!

Now, on to Kendall County:

Ralph Fair Road

Yes, this isn't actually in Kendall County ... but it sort of feels like it is so we're including it on this list. And yes, we're almost done with the work at Ralph Fair Road and I-10. That work could be finished - meaning no more overnight closures, no more daytime closures, no more anything - as early as the first half of next week.

Huge credit for working a quick, clean project to Sundt Construction. The $7.5 million project widened the Ralph Fair Road bridge to five lanes (it used to be just two), and converted some of the frontage roads between Boerne Stage Road and Ralph Fair Road to one-way.

Hwy 46 at Esser

This project was literally days - days - from being finished when we discovered a pavement failure issue with the sub-base that's now being addressed. The $2 million project reconstructed a portion of the roadway and improved the intersection - particularly for westbound traffic on Hwy 46 - right there at the intersection of Hwy 46 and Esser Road. One of the major reasons for the work is to fit the intersection to the Kendall County project to expand the Herff Road bridge; well, mission accomplished there. And with the new right-turn lane in place for westbound traffic that would be headed to Boerne High School, school traffic this fall should see a better drive than they've seen in a while.

And, finally, a look at Kerr County:

Hwy 39 Ingram

This project seemed to be the project that simply would not end! The $8.6 million project began 2013 with the intent of adding a center left-turn lane, bike lanes and sidewalks to Hwy 39 between Hwy 27 and the Ingram Dam out in, well, Ingram.

The project got off to a rough start, but over the last year work moved as fast as the weather allowed. Final asphalt surface will be laid as soon as some curb and sidewalk - under way right now - is finished, and and final striping will come immediately thereafter. That work is currently slated for the last week of July, which means completion should come by the first week of August.

Hunt Crossing

This is another project on Hwy 39, this time a bridge over the south fork of the Guadalupe River in the area of Hunt, Texas. If you've not been, by the way, you should - a gem of the Hill Country, Hunt is!

The $2.5 million project replaced the old bridge with a wider, upgraded version. The wider bridge still only carries one lane in each direction, but it now includes space for shoulders and improved rails. The water flow volume is improved as well. This one shouldn't see water run over top very often, and improve the drive through the area.

Hwy 16 Kerrville

This project - a $2.7 million effort to widen and improve Hwy 16 between Hwy 173 and River Hills Blvd on the south side of Kerrville - was marred by a crash in September that landed five workers, including two TxDOT inspectors, in the hospital. The crash was caused by a suspected drunk driver who sped through an active work zone, passing officers who tried to slow or stop the driver prior to the work zone. The driver was chased by police to his home, where he was arrested.

Despite that drama, crews with Zimmerman Construction have been able to eke out a decent project. Yes, the work has taken longer than estimated. However, notice was given this week paving crews will work all week next week to lay that final surface of asphalt.

The final product should be delivered by the end of the week, if all goes well. That product includes beefed up shoulders and a turn lane.

Comal County roundup

We've got some stuff happening in the New Braunfels area, but it's best to show rather than just tell. Take a look:

Mail Bag: Loop 1604 NW, How to Use the Blog, I-10 and more

What happens to the light poles on the center median that are taken down before construction? Where are they taken?
- Josie

Great question, Josie. And we've got a pretty simple answer, too. The short version is the fate of these older light poles greatly depends on the nature of the work and contract we have with the contractor. In some cases, the poles are salvaged and re-used. In others, the poles become the property of the contractor (this is part of their bid package; some contractors are able to bid lower dollar amounts knowing they'll also end up with some equipment like light poles as well) and new poles can be used.


Where is the closure information regarding the westbound lanes of I-10 at Heubner through UTSA Boulevard? I do not see the information on your Web site. The lack of posting the information and the closure of three lanes on a four lane interstate at 8:30pm is not appropriate. The work could be accomplished by closing two lanes at a time.
- Ricky

This closure - along with all other planned construction-related closures in the San Antonio region - was posted online right here on the Go Ahead! blog. This announcement is also sent to traditional media outlets. Because of the fluid nature of the closures along I-10 between Huebner and Loop 1604, we don't publish them on the TxDOT main Web site. For the same reason, and because of the temporary nature of these closures, we don't post specifics of the closure on the map application we have - that is reserved, by policy, for larger closures and weather-related stuff (like ice or floods).

As for the number of lanes closed, when we're working on the middle lanes we actually do need to take three lanes. This is done for safety - the safety of our crews as well as that of motorists. Safety will always be our top priority for stuff like this. By taking three lanes we can work in one lane and have a buffer area of one lane either side of our work crews, allowing for a safe work environment. This is considered a best practice that's used not only Texas-wide, but also nation-wide. It's not specific to us in San Antonio. Because it is, indeed, a larger closure we avoid daytime and peak traffic times. The closures start at 8:30 p.m. and are finished by 5:30 a.m.

We have had issues with the contractor closing multiple consecutive ramps, but that is being resolved with our contractor. That's not a best practice, and we're taking steps to ensure we don't have consecutive exits or consecutive entrances in the future.


I'm new to this site. Great info! Are there any new updates to the Shaenfield-Loop 1604 area work?
- Rich

Thanks - glad it's helping you out!
We had a post on the Loop 1604 project (tagged as "Loop 1604 Northwest") just this last week - Tuesday, in fact.
For all projects and posts, we use a tag cloud to help folks narrow their search of blog posts for specific projects. The tag cloud is that big mass of words - it seems random, but it's not - to the left of the screen when you're looking at the blog from your browser. The tags are listed in alphabetical order, and you'll notice the tags with more posts (like "closures") are much larger in the cloud than tags with very few associated posts.
The challenge is reading our minds regarding what we've named projects - we've tried to be as intuitive as possible. For instance, the expansion of Loop 1604 on the northwest side of town between Bandera and Culebra roads (including Shaenfield) is tagged "Loop 1604 Northwest" and the project at the intersection of Fredericksburg and Medical Drive is tagged "Fred-Med".
If you're finding some projects tagged in a way that's tough to decipher, let us know! We can always re-tag something - we just need to know when something doesn't make sense! Give us some reasons and some suggested alternatives, by the way. Solutions accompanying a sincere complaint will always gain the most traction with us.


How much longer do we have to wait for the project on Hwy 281 at Loop 1604 to begin?- David

Great question - and one we're only partially capable of answering. Hwy 281 - particularly north of Loop 1604 - falls under the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority, who has what we call a "right of primacy" (also known as "dibs") on that corridor and is overseeing future development.
That includes getting finalized environmental clearance on the project, which should come this summer (according to the RMA, with whom we spoke on the phone to find answers to this question). The Environmental Impact Statement is finished and can be viewed by pretty much anyone online right here. Once that environmental clearance is issued work will begin in earnest to finish the designs for the project. The good folks with the RMA say they're shooting for early 2017 as a start date for the work on U.S. 281 north of Loop 1604 - and that includes the remaining connectors from Loop 1604 to U.S. 281.


The green traffic light for the westbound frontage road of I-10 at Ralph Fair Road is way too short! It allows only 4-5 vehicles (depending on type of vehicle) through before cycling to yellow. Traffic is backing up beyond the I-10 on ramp in the mornings. All is lost if someone is making a left turn onto Ralph Fair, as the lane configuration does not allow for any way around them to make a right turn on a red light. Can the length of the green light please be extended?
- Bernie

Bernie, we've had several mention issues with signal timing at this intersection, but yours is the first to tell us we're giving too little green time to the I-10 frontage road. Most are exactly the opposite.
That said, we clearly need to make sure our contractors are ensuring the timing is right and the detection system is picking up traffic appropriately.
As for that right-turn movement ... we should have that opened back up when we finish repaving the intersection in the next couple of weeks. When we're all done, that westbound frontage road will have one through lane, a left-turn lane and a right-turn lane. You'll be able to get where you're going a lot easier than you did before we got going.


I had a quick question regarding the FM 306 project Hunter Industries is working on. Part of the project was to create side roads to connect Goodwin Lane up to FM 306, one of which wraps around under the new railroad overpass. The side road themselves are completely lacking any type of curbs or water control of any sort nor any form of sidewalks for pedestrians to utilize. There are multiple apartment complexes in the vicinity and with all the care to pedestrian access on 306, I would have thought the side roads would have also included sidewalks.
Is this just temporary or was this the intended final design?
- Peter

Peter, when these plans were drawn up most of those apartments were completely non-existent. In fact, when we started construction there was one apartment complex along the entire project - one. Since then, following growth in that area of New Braunfels, apartments have been built.
We do not have in our plans sidewalks along the turnarounds under the UPRR underpasses. These turnarounds are built as access points to an area that is decidedly industrial (or so it was when the project was designed, using input from the general public).
That said, we can look into an additional project to add sidewalks and curbs. In order to make that a priority, you'll need to work with your local elected officials and the Metropolitan Planning Organization.


Anything you can find out about future plans for the intersection of I-10 and Scenic Loop Road in Boerne?
- Kam

A picture is always worth a thousand words, so here's a look (via a PowerPoint presentation to the Boerne City Council last month) at what's proposed and being planned. Keep in mind this $10 million project will take about two years to complete and will start late 2015 or early 2016.

Notice that we're adding turnarounds (proposed!), expanding the intersection itself and likely doing some work on the I-10 overpass itself. Again, this is all proposed - it's not yet finalized.
Also, forgive the use of "IH 10" on the slide - we just can't break our engineers of using that moniker....


TxDOT's site has an illustration of the new Hwy 151 intersection, and it is not clear on how Culebra connects to Hwy 151. Can you clarify?
- David

This picture should show a little better what's happening out there (and on pace to be finished by the end of 2016). As for the connection from Culebra Road, heading south along the Loop 1604 access road to reach the Hwy 151 ramp ... well, that's not happening. There's just not enough space to accommodate both traffic movements from southbound Loop 1604 main lanes onto westbound Alamo Ranch Parkway and southbound Loop 1604 frontage road onto eastbound Hwy 151.
Those involved with the planning process determined more traffic would be coming from southbound Loop 1604 to westbound Alamo Ranch Parkway, meaning that particular traffic movement will be the primary traffic generator. The result is that will be a possible traffic movement; moving along the southbound Loop 1604 frontage road from Culebra Road onto eastbound Hwy 151 will not.
At any rate, here's the aerial overview (you'll likely need to click on it and zoom in a bit to see what's happening):

Comal County roundup

If anyone else thinks it been far too long since a run-down on Comal County projects has been posted, well ... so did we. Without further ado:

Walnut Avenue

If you've not heard by now, Walnut Avenue will close between Grandview and Floral for the remainder of the year. This is  more than the daily closures drivers have been seeing with the ongoing utility work that's progressed to the top of the hill. That closure has pushed traffic onto Fredericksburg Road to get around; our detour suggests using Landa Street to Loop 337.

Of course, local residential and business access will be maintained; you'll still be able to reach those businesses along Walnut. Through traffic will be restricted, however.

With the road closed, Dean Word Company will have more open access to widen the road through the canyon portion of this project. There they are building a huge retaining wall on the downhill side of the road, which they'll then backfill with tons (literally!) of dirt. It's called a "mechanically stabilized earth" wall, and will hold up the additional width of the roadway.

This diagram, published by cenews.com, shows how a mechanically stabilized earth wall works. An MSE wall will hold up the expansion portion of Walnut Avenue through the canyon between Grandview and Floral.

Loop 337

The expansion of the bridge over I-35 at Loop 337/Rueckle Road is within a week of being finished and all lanes in use. An elevation issue (of only an inch or two - which is a bigger deal than it sounds like) between the old turnaround bridge and the existing bridge prevented us from opening it when we had hoped a cuople of months ago.

With the specialized crews on site to make appropriate adjustment, we're only a matter of days from having traffic on all lanes of the bridge.

I-35 ramps between FM 306 and Conrads-Kohlenberg

About five months ago, Dan Williams Company began reversing the ramps between FM 306 and Conrads-Kohlenberg. Basically, that means the entrance ramps will be switched to exit ramps, and the exit ramps to entrance ramps.

Crews will be ready for the first big move on this work next weekend. For more, watch the video:

FM 306

At this point, it's almost all bridge work that remains. We've got crews pouring concrete at the overpass near Hunter Road, mainly to form the approach slabs for the bridge deck. Meanwhile, on the overpass near Goodwin Lane, we're preparing to pour the bridge deck itself. We still have a lot of curb work and a median to build, then we'll need to finish tying the second halves of the bridges into the halves that are already constructed.

Hunter Industries wants to be finished with the project by the end of the school year - still ahead of schedule, though later than they'd have initially liked to be finished when work began in 2013.

FM 1101

We are still waiting for utility adjustments to be complete before turning loose Hunter Industries on this project to widen FM 1101 between Hwy 46 and FM 306. This expansion will include a center left-turn lane, sidewalks and a larger shoulder area for safe bicycling.

As of now, crews are expected to be able to start work in April. 

Comal County round-up

Recent weather has pushed back some huge milestones across Comal County - particularly in and around New Braunfels - but big developments are still taking shape. The result is a flurry of activity inside a two-week window, set to start late next week.

Here's a run-down, in no particular order:

Lp 337 (Rueckle Road)

For two months folks have been using a finished product that expanded Lp 337 between I-35 and Altgelt Road, but barricades have remained blocking a portion of the overpass bridge. This has limited traffic from the northbound frontage road to a single left turn lane and traffic crossing the bridge over I-35 to a single lane.

The goal of the project, however, was to expand the bridge to allow for two through lanes plus a left turn lane for traffic coming from Rueckle Road and headed north (or west, depending on your perspective) on Lp 337. That was hampered by a slight elevation difference between what used to be the south-to-north turnaround bridge and the existing overpass bridge. The difference, which is only a matter of an inch or so, was noticed when the concrete barrier was demolished as part of the project requirements.

The specialized subcontractor for the work to correct the elevation difference, which happens to fall right in the middle of the wheelpath of one of the lanes, was scheduled to solve the issue this week. Cold and wet weather has pushed that back, and they are now expected to be working on the bridge by the start of next week.

Once work on the bridge begins we'll need about a week to have everything opened up. Call it a St. Patrick's Day gift.

FM 306

Hunter Industries continues to work toward  completing the expansion of the roadway and construction of overpasses at the UPRR crossings near Hunter Road and Goodwin Lane in time for summer. Right now that's exactly what will happen.

Crews have been pouring concrete to form the concrete barriers along the overpass near Hunter Road and are working to do the same near Goodwin. This may require temporary or sporadic closures as trucks enter or exit the roadway, but nothing lasting or long-term at all. At most, these closures will last 10 minutes.

Hunter is on pace to have the work complete by the end of the school year (and start of the summer river floating season).

FM 1101

The expansion of FM 1101 between Hwy 46 and FM 306 has been on hold nearly six months while we await utilities to be moved out of conflict. The deadline for that is in April, and we'll then release Hunter Industries to begin work.

The project will last about a year and a half, with most of the work happening during the summers of 2015 and 2016. Since three schools are along this work zone, it's critical we reduce our impact during the school year.

The final product will feature a new center left-turn lane, expanded shoulders for bike use and sidewalks.

I-35 ramp reversals

Dan Williams Company is running slightly ahead of schedule and is ready to open the new northbound entrance ramp from FM 306 around St. Patrick's Day. This new on-ramp is located near Conrads-Kohlenberg and will require the current exit to Conrads-Kohlenberg to close. Traffic to Conrads-Kohlenberg will exit FM 306 and pass through the intersection.

Naturally, that means an uptick in traffic at an already stressed intersection. However, the north-to-south turnaround at FM 306 will open - permanently - and the intersection should see some relief.

The new exit ramp, located near FM 306 (designed to capture the truck traffic headed to the WalMart transfer warehouse), is set to open by the first weekend of April.

Meanwhile, Dan Williams is beginning to set up for work on the southbound side. This is about two months ahead of schedule. They have more work to do on the southbound side than they did on the northbound side, so drivers shouldn't expect such an early finish on the southbound side. We initially planned about six months for each side. We are sticking with the six-month schedule on the southbound side for now.

Walnut Avenue

The city of New Braunfels has approved a proposal brought by us on behalf of the contractor, Dean Word Company, to close Walnut Avenue completely between Grandview and Floral avenues. That closure should take place the week after St. Patricks Day.

Once Walnut Avenue is closed, Dean Word will begin expanding the road through the canyon and will install storm drain features on the uphill and downhill sides of the canyon. The phase of work - and the closure - is expected to last about nine months.

The closure will shorten the overall project duration, however, by about six months. Work began earlier this year and will wrap up before the summer of 2016.

U.S. 281 at Hwy 46

We have received occasional calls asking about the progress on this project that constructs turnarounds for U.S. 281 traffic at Hwy 46 in Bulverde.

CRG is the contractor out there, and they are indeed running behind schedule. As is typical in a situation like this, TxDOT is assessing liquidated damages against the contractor to the tune of a little under $1,000 per day. This is the strongest leverage the department has to help motivate a contractor to accelerate production of a project.

Lately the delays on the project have been due to an equipment breakdown that took several weeks to get repaired. Once the machinery that broke down was ready to work again, weather tackled the area and stopped any productive work from happening.

Project managers are pointing to a completion date early this summer, if all goes well.

Comal County roundup

One of the adverse effects of holiday-shortened months and having a lot going on elsewhere is an utter lack of updates on project in outlying areas. In this case, the several major projects in Comal County - particularly around New Braunfels - have been moving right along and we need to tell you about it.

FM 306

Last week, just before Thanksgiving, Hunter Industries set bridge support beams over the railroad crossing near Hunter Road to form the backbone for the eastbound bridge, then reworked the intersection at Hunter Road.

While this meant a minor traffic nuisance for the two days crews were out there, it marks another major step toward getting finished with the project overall. Hunter's plan is to have the Hunter Road crossing finished first, though crews will continue working on the overpass at Goodwin as well. Once the overpass near Hunter Road is finished focus will shift to the Goodwin overpass.

The hope is to have the overpass near Hunter Road finished and in use around the New Year, and to have the overpass near Goodwin Lane finished near the end of the school year. Overall project completion is scheduled before the end of the school year.

Loop 337

Another Hunter Industries project, we're falling victim to weather right now. If Hunter Industries had their way, we'd be finished with everything by now ... but cold temperatures and wet weather (much-needed wet weather!) has dampened our ability to lay asphalt and paint the roadway.

Crews were scheduled to do the last bit of asphalt and all the roadway striping last week, but weather pushed that work back. As soon as we get a stretch of weather that's warm enough and dry enough to finish things out, we'll do that.

Again, we were hoping to have the project finished by now (even though we have until January to finish up), and we're trying to have the work done very soon.

I-35 ramps

The project to reverse the entrance and exit ramps between Conrads-Kohlenberg and FM 306 is underway, with Dan Williams Company working already to construct the new northbound ramps. The overall plan is to develop the northbound side first, then move over to the southbound side. Each side should take about six months.

This project is one of our top generators of emails right now - there are several who seem concerned about the length of the northbound entrance ramp from FM 306. The barricade set up in the shoulder area has taken away the shoulder, which was being improperly used by traffic as a defacto acceleration lane.

Here's the thing: entrance ramps are actually designed so that traffic can get to appropriate highway speeds before reaching the lanes of the highway. Ramps are designed to help accelerate - they are acceleration lanes, in and of themselves. 

But that's not how they're being treated. 

At any rate, folks believe a safety hazard exists so we have our engineers digging through options. We've got four options being examined, and we hope to have settled on one of those four by the end of the week.

Walnut Avenue

Right now the work on Walnut Avenue, between Kerlick and Landa, is being done by NBU and is all utilities work. NBU reported this morning they are on schedule to finish their work by the start of summer. TxDOT work will begin early 2015.

FM 1101

Right now this one is all utilities. Specifically, a certain telephone company has lines in the way and we're waiting for them to move out of the way. Hopefully those lines may be moved before we get started (early 2015) so we don't encounter any delays.

US 281 turnarounds

Nearly a year ago we gave the go-ahead to CRG to begin constructing turnarounds on U.S. 281 at Hwy 46. Almost immediately after setting up the work area, CRG realized they wouldn't be able to construct the project the way they had bid it. They halted work and began acquiring the resources (including equipment and personnel) to construct the project the way we designed it.

That process was lengthy ... and CRG went back to work just this fall. As of the end of November they've finished about half the work scheduled for the project, and they are on target to finish the work before the end of the school year.

As for the delays, those are being appropriately handled between the contractor and our area office.

Comal County round-up

Lots going on in and around Comal County in terms of highway projects ... here's a look:

Seguin Avenue

Last week (Wednesday) we formally and ceremoniously celebrated the completion of the Seguin Avenue underpass. On hand were representatives of Austin Bridge & Road, the contractor who built this project. As you may recall, this is the same contractor who built the original project back in 1935.

The event was hosted by the city of New Braunfels, and Mayor Barron Casteel reminded folks just how long the project had been in the making - at least since he was still in school, referring to his college days. He thanked Rep. Doug Miller, who helped secure the funds for the project through the Texas Proposition 12 grant from the Texas State Legislature.

With other civic leaders - those from the Daughters of the American Revolution, the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce and others - around, the underpass was toasted. TxDOT District Engineer Mario Jorge lauded some of the engineering of the new underpass - including the nearly 800,000-pound steel structure that now carries rail traffic safely over Seguin Avenue and the 140,000 gallon detention pond under the roadway that will store stormwater to keep the road open through all conditions.

The Loop

Hunter Industries will close portions of the intersection of Loop 337 and Altgelt Lane over the next two weekends. These closures will keep one lane going in each direction, but will squeeze traffic quite a bit. Folks are advised to find alternate routes where they can.

This will allow road builders to reconstruct the intersection. Once this work is complete (mid-September) traffic on Loop 337 between I-35 and Altgelt will shift onto the new asphalt on the south side of the road. Crews will only need a few weeks to rebuild the road on the north side of the road, and work should be ready to wrap up before Halloween.

FM 306

Another Hunter Industries project, this one hit a snag a few weeks ago in waiting for some utilities to be moved. AT&T has been on site regularly, and report they should have their work finished by mid-September. Once that work is finished, Hunter's bridge crews will go to work on the drain structures at the Hunter Road overpass.

While Hunter waits for AT&T to get out of the way, they are working on embankments and structures for the future eastbound lanes of the bridge. They've also got the turnarounds nearly complete at Coleman and at Goodwin Lane, and local traffic may begin using those immediately. This should be helping traffic move through the project a little more smoothly.

If it weren't for the utility adjustments, this project may be finished in time for the holidays. Instead, we're still on pace to be finished early in the new year - which is still ahead of our initial schedule.

U.S. 281 Spring Branch

The temporary (and, by temporary, we mean at least 2-3 years) fix for the U.S. Post Office problem is underway. Hunter Industries (yes, those guys again) is building a "detour" around the building; the northbound lanes of U.S. 281 will simply scoot left, then right again around the building.

Crews are also finishing up work north of the post office, completing the future northbound lanes of the highway. If all goes according to plan, we'll be moving northbound traffic onto the northbound lanes at the Coyote Ridge area and up through to FM 306. As the southbound lanes are finished - traffic in both directions are using the southbound side for most of the project - this will effectively split traffic to its final path.

To be clear: we won't have two lanes in each direction until work is complete (end of the year). Until then, we'll have a single lane each way, but those lanes will be on the final location of the roadway.

On the south end of the project (more or less from FM 311 south to the river) we're hoping to have traffic moved over nearly as quick; we have a few utilities to adjust and some finishing touches to some bridge structures to wrap up.

Again, all told ... we're hoping to be finished with this project around the end of the year.

Upcoming projects

• The Walnut Avenue expansion - we're calling it the "Walnut Hill" job - should start up this fall (likely late fall, like November). Right now we're still getting utilities cleared out of the way.
• The I-35 Conrads/Kohlenberg project - which will realign the entrance and exit ramps between FM 306 and Conrads/Kohlenberg on the northeast end of the county - could start as early as October.
• FM 1101 between Hwy 46 and FM 36 is getting a continuous center turn lane, sidewalks and some space for bikes (handy with three schools along the route). Though the project can start in November, we're expecting the start date to perhaps push back to January. Right now utilities are being moved.

Comal County roundup

It's been a few weeks since we've looked at the projects in and around Comal County ... time to get everyone updated and up-to-speed. We'll try to keep things to the point....

I-35 Selma

This project is winding down, and should be complete - totally complete - by the end of July. Representatives of Dan Williams Company have indicated they'll have crews working on the turnarounds at FM 3009 over the next two weeks and hope to have it in play by mid-July. Right now their focus is squarely on the main lanes of I-35, which are being resurfaced and striped with overnight work.

The turnaround at FM 1518 also remains, but should be built along with the turnaround at FM 3009.

Questions have abounded about the timing on this project. We are examining the impacts of events beyond the control of the contractor (including design issues and weather-related delays), and may credit that time to the contractor as appropriate. Given the circumstances, TxDOT engineers doing these reviews indicate they may conclude the contractor was able to successfully perform the work within the allotted time (adjusted for these delays).

That's a round-about, technical way of saying the project is still running on time.

Loop 337

Mark your calendars for July 7. It's that date that Hunter Industries has set aside to close the driveway for the truck stop on Loop 337 so they can rebuild the road in that area. The closure should last only a few short weeks, and when that work is done the contractor plans to move traffic onto the new asphalt. The current asphalt will be torn up to allow the road to be rebuilt.

All told, Hunter is aiming at having the road reconstruction finished somewhere around the end of August or early September. If that happens, the whole project (which expands the overpass bridge at Loop 337 and I-35 to handle the added capacity brought, in part, by the truck stop) could be done as early as October. That would be at least three months earlier than anticipated.

There are factors that could knock that goal back a bit, but for right now that's the target.

Seguin Avenue

The rock face facade on the retaining walls has taken a little longer than anticipated. Austin Bridge Company hoped to be finished with the project last week, but they are looking now at being done by the end of July. That's not just an optimistic aim, either. With most of the infrastructure finished up - as well as the last pieces of the retaining wall facade being put in place - all that will remain by the end of next week is a final layer of asphalt and pavement markings. Well, that and a few other adjustments.

Bottom line: this project will be complete by the end of July.

FM 306

Most are well aware of the overpasses at the two railroad crossings. Hunter Industries has also tweaked the traffic signals at Common Street, optimizing traffic flow.

We're dealing with some conflicts with AT&T in the area still, and that's slowing the pace a bit. Even still, the folks at Hunter are aiming for early 2015 to be finished with everything. That still looks extremely doable.

FM 1101

This project was just awarded to Hunter Industries, and expands FM 1101 between Hwy 46 and the extension of FM 306 on the north side of New Braunfels.

We're aiming at early fall to begin work. This will go through two - two - school zones, so folks commuting to those schools should be aware of changing conditions as we begin work.

U.S. 281 Comal

The biggest question here is how we're going to get around the U.S. Post Office in Spring Branch. Once that question is answered, the project will be able to wrap up pretty quickly. In fact, we're eyeing a completion date of this fall - something like nine months earlier than we had planned at the start of the project.

That said, we still need to figure out the Post Office issue. We've got a couple of ideas on the table, but we need to iron out the costs associated with these plans. We're doing so with the constant reminder these solutions are temporary. When the USPS is able to vacate the building, we'll go back and finish the job as it was originally planned.

U.S. 281 and Hwy 46

Those out in Bulverde know of the barricades we've got in place for a project that adds turnarounds on U.S. 281 at Hwy 46. CRG - that's the name of the contractor - has halted work for a while because they're trying to renegotiate the way the project is constructed. We're doing our best to work with them and get them working as quickly as possible.

Because work could resume any day now, we can't remove the barricades that were put in place and restripe the roadway. That would cost us quite a bit of money, and could have to be undone in a simple matter of days. We know it's frustrating to see the barricades without much going on, but for now we're a bit stuck.

Walnut Avenue

Back to New Braunfels for a moment....

The Walnut Avenue job is still in the middle of a 180-day delay to allow for utilities to be adjusted. We're aiming right now at getting work going early 2015. Between now and then, folks may see utilities crews out there adjusting lines as appropriate. At least, we hope that's seen by folks.

I-35 at FM 306

Another new project to be awarded is a project that will realign the exit and entrance ramps along I-35 between FM 306 and Conrads/Kohlenberg north of New Braunfels. This project has been awarded to The Dan Williams Company, and is slated to begin (most likely) early 2015. We've got a bit of a delay built into the project for utility adjustments. The project is pretty straight-forward, and should take less than a year to construct.

Development beyond San Antonio

*photos will be posted tomorrow

The biggest disadvantage to being the sole poster for an organizational blog like this is when that sole poster is out of town (or state) for a period of time, the posts stop altogether.

So, apologies for going dark over the last three weeks. To get us back up and running, and to get everyone on the same page again, we'll start with a (really long) post about projects beyond the city of San Antonio. So, if you're here to read about projects in Kendall, Guadalupe or Comal county, enjoy.

FM 1101

The Texas Transportation Commission in April approved funds for a contract to expand FM 1101 on the northeast side of New Braunfels.

Hunter Industries - who is building three other major projects we'll discuss in a bit - won the project with a bid of $6,154,722.50. That was nearly 6 percent under our own engineers' estimate of the construction costs for this project. (Total project cost is expected to be around $8 million.)

So ... what are we doing? We're expanding the road to include a continuous left-turn lane. We're also adding bike lanes and sidewalks. Now, this will stretch between Hwy 46 and FM 306, essentially. Work will begin this summer, and we'll certainly be working in the school zones through the school year.

Those are the facts right now; the goal right now is just to let folks know this project is coming. More details will be available when the project gets underway.

FM 306

This is another Hunter Industries project (including FM 1101, this is 2 of 4).

The contractor opened the bridge at Goodwin late last month. The bridge at Hunter Lane was opened earlier this week. Moving forward, this means traffic on this portion of FM 306 will never have to stop to wait for a train again. That's a thing completely of the past. Granted, it's only one lane each way. But that's because we've only got the westbound bridges built, and for now we're using them for two-way traffic. Work on the eastbound bridges started earlier this week.

Now, this shift to the overpasses has been accompanied by a few headaches, particularly at Common Street. We're working with the city of New Braunfels to adjust the traffic signals at Common to allow for optimal traffic flow.

That said, we did get a left turn lane open for westbound traffic at Hunter Road. That means folks headed to Gruene are able to get there by turning left at Hunter. The contractor is working on getting the section of road between I-35 and Lifehouse opened up to four lanes (two each way).

Overall completion is still on target for January 2015.

Loop 337 (Rueckle Road)

Seguin Avenue

Trains are using the new bridge and the shoo-fly detour has been removed. We are still having occasional overnight closures of Seguin Avenue at the UPRR crossing while painters touch up the bridge; previous paint work has been spoiled a bit by the rains during recent weeks.

The contractor, Austin Bridge and Road - the same company that built the original railroad underpass in the 1930s - is is busily working on the sidewalks and driveways on the west side of the underpass while stone masons place the rock face for the retaining walls. Remember: these stones for the wall face are the same stones that comprised the original retaining wall.

If all goes well, the latest ABR schedule shows work to be finished at the end of this month.

U.S. 281 Comal

Representatives with the U.S. Post Office held a public meeting this week to discuss potential new locations for the Spring Branch Post Office, which is sitting in the middle of what will eventually be the northbound main lanes of U.S. Highway 281.

The property the post office sits on belongs to the Texas Department of Transportation, as it was acquired through the normal right-of-way acquisition process. Since then, the USPS has been working with the folks at TxDOT to develop an agreeable solution to the problem; that is, our road is supposed to go where their building is currently sitting.

Among the solutions - all temporary, until the Post Office can be moved to another location - is a plan that would create a small "detour" for the northbound lanes through (or near) the west parking lot of the Post Office. This is a detour that will remain in place until the originally planned roadway can be built.

To be absolutely clear: this project is not delayed at this point. In fact, the project is running ahead of schedule. Credit Hunter Industries for that. Even with the situation around the Post Office, this project should finish well ahead of the scheduled completion date.

That said, local folks should note we'll finish with the detour in place, and we'll have to come back with a separate project to build the originally planned northbound lanes.

Questions about the relocation of the USPS building should be directed to Sandra A. Rybicki, Real Estate Specialist for the U.S. Postal Service. Her email address is sandra.a.rybicki@usps.gov.

Hwy 39 Ingram

About two weeks ago, our area engineer in Kerrville reported to the Ingram City Council regarding the progress Relmco Construction is making on Highway 39. Here are his notes from that report:

Material is being removed from the Loop Road. No more material will be stockpiled in this area.

We have stepped up dust control along the project. Water truck is on project and is shooting water to help with dust. (This is an issue we deal with on each of our projects, and it's often difficult to balance the need to keep dust down with the need to conserve water in the middle of a major drought....)

We are going to install some temporary paving on the Loop to improve aesthetics and help with dust and tracking of material. 

Last month was the first month for a while the contractor did not fall further behind schedule. We are looking at hurrying along some of the paving work west of the Johnson Creek Bridge to get this area done before school and the arts and crafts fair.

I-10 frontage road - Seguin

This is a project that is entirely funded - that's 100 percent! - by non-TxDOT funds. A private developer fronted some money, as did the economic development group in Seguin, to build a frontage road between Hwy 46 and FM 464 on the west end of Seguin.

The project continues to move forward on schedule, and should wrap up by the end of summer.