Mail Bag: Chrostopher and AJ discover our Mail Bag....

When will you address the absolute nightmare at Fair Oaks Ranch bridge due to the closure of the frontage road? What is the progress of the work being done at Old Fred? You have been radio silent these past two weeks despite numerous calls.
- Michael
Where are the police that have been helping direct traffic on the FOR bridge during rush hour? They have disappeared this week this causing major delays once again. If I can’t get to work, I can’t pay taxes to fund this disaster you call road construction.
- Tina
So ... truth. We have received a number of phone calls and emails about the Fair Oaks Parkway overpass. On our end, we take one or two of those and reach out to project staff to have the issue addressed. We file away those couple of communications - and the dozen or more that follow - and move forward. We work to communicate as much as we are able, but cannot always keep up with the demands of some areas in our 12-county district.
We apologize that means the Fair Oaks community felt we were ignoring them. We assure y'all that was absolutely not the case. Our communications team simply has a larger swath of area to focus on - 12 counties! - with similar communication demands and we work hard to try keeping everyone we can in the loop on their projects.
All that said, a good bit of the issues y'all were seeing should have calmed now that Sundt has finished work on the frontage roads requiring the closure that complicated that area. What's more, you're about a month from being finished totally with work at the FOP intersection itself. We hope to have the frontage roads converted to one-way soon, which will open up the capacity of the frontage roads. It'll also mean the new exit ramps will be open, storing the traffic waiting at the FOP intersection onto the frontage road and getting that traffic off the main lanes.

Not a question today, just a compliment. I travel west on 151 every morning (between 0610 and 0710) and since the new flyover to NB 410 opened, it has been much less congested just as your folks planned. Thank you! It has reduced my commute time as well as any stress. I'm sure it will also improve safety in the area. Thanks again!
- Roy

We're as glad as anyone to see a plan work out! We're hoping to see a similar improvement when the direct connectors at I-410 and US 90 are finished in the next 18 months or so. We're getting so close to all that happening!
Also, Roy, thank you for reaching out. Comments like these really mean a lot to our guys in the field (and yes, they do actually read these posts)!

I have a plethora of questions! Now that I found this page I'll probably be emailing you a lot! (Sorry in advance).
151/ Alamo Ranch: I just read on one of your blogs that ARP is owned by the city and not the state, thus y'all (basically) have nothing to do with it. Yet, I have also know that SH 151 is potentially planned to extend to/ through SH 211 AND that ARP is basically built as future SH 151 access roads. So... I don't get it. Is TXDOT planning to in the near (or distant) future acquire/ incorporate ARP into 151?
SH 211: Are y'all at least considering extending SH 211 north to I-10 and south to 35? I think it's phenomenal that there is this active planning to acquire right of way and build this highway AHEAD of the growth, knowing the highway will be desperately needed in the near future. However, it seems like it could never be realized to its full potential/ usefulness without these connections (especially to I-10). Would an extension to I-10 be incorporated into or connect to the future highway planned as part of the "Kendall Gateway Study"?
- Christopher

We're excited for the plethora - and we hope to answer them all! We make one simple promise, Christopher: we'll be direct and honest. The answers may not be what folks love to hear, but they will be completely and unabashedly truthful.
On to the questions you've got. We'll start with the Hwy 151-Alamo Ranch Parkway question.
It seems very logical to continue Hwy 151 through Hwy 211 following the path of Alamo Ranch Parkway. However, that's not the case today. Frankly we've been working to get lane-miles off our system wherever possibly rather than adding roads to our grid.
That said, if the county (owner of ARP right now) includes the turnover of ARP to TxDOT as part of a larger transportation funding strategy in the future we would be happy to listen. Something like that would require a lot of folks to say "yes", though, including (but not limited to) the Alamo Area MPO, Alamo Regional Mobility Authority and the Texas Transportation Commission.
But as of right now, today, this moment ... us taking on Alamo Ranch Parkway isn't something we have written anywhere in our scheme.
As for Hwy 211 ... right now Bexar County Public Works is working to connect Potranco and Culebra roads. Beyond that ... we haven't had any detailed conversations at this point. Our recommendation if you feel this is a solution we should move aggressively on: get involved with the MPO and make comments at the Kendall Gateway meetings. We'll pass along the idea to our planners to ensure it's on the radar, but it's really going to take some local calls to make something like this viable.

As with all construction projects, I know things change as progress is made. What are the current timelines for the I-10 corridor projects? Namely:

• Ralph Fair to Fair Oaks
• Old Fred intersection
• Fair Oaks intersection
• activation of one-way frontage roads through Fair Oaks
• HOV lanes (I remember reading that this project will be opened in phases with first section to take a year, but progress seems to be moving rather quickly.)

Is there a webpage where I can read about the planned stages?
Thanks!
- AJ
Hey, AJ! You've reached out via email, but we're going to answer all these questions on the blog so all can benefit. You can look at the details of what we're doing on each project online here.
As for updated timelines, this blog is the go-to source. With that in mind, here's the latest schedule:

• Ralph Fair to Fair Oaks will wrap up this fall
• Old Fred intersection is open for business, though we still have that signal to install and have our traffic division turn on
• The intersection of Fair Oaks itself is set to be finished by Independence Day, but we have to wait for the frontage road conversion to open the intersection to full capacity
• We're still nailing down a firm timeframe for the frontage road conversion and hope to have something firm to discuss next month; right now we're leaning toward opening things in four stages with the Old Fred intersection being the divider ... the determining factor will really be the new exit and entrance ramps
• The expansion of I-10 to include HOV lanes between Ralph Fair and La Cantera is still on its initial pace; they expect to open up one lane each way as soon as 2019, with final completion and that fourth lane opened early 2021

I noticed the 2015 animated video showed two "managed lanes" on each side and the 2017 video shows one HOV. Any background on the change?
- AJ
We're guessing you're talking about the I-10 project on this. Honestly, we don't build where we're not wanted and, in this case, the local input was such that we change the plan from two managed lanes each direction to a single HOV lane and a traditional non-tolled express lane.

Why is the bridge over the Guadalupe River on 281 Spring Branch closed and when will it open again? Are repairs going to be made? Nothing has been done in weeks except traffic is now down to one lane over the River. You need to notify folks if roads are going to close.
- Trudy
We're totally reconstructing the southbound bridge, Trudy. It'll take us a while to get it all done out there - we've been trying to keep in touch with local media to keep folks up-to-date. When we shut down the bridge we found some pavement failures we didn't expect. Those are now fixed so we've moved our contractor on to the actual bridge.
As for the work ... we're tearing the bridge down to its skeleton, basically, and reconstructing everything around the frame. It won't be expanded with this one, but will be upgraded significantly.
The bridge will remain closed for the duration of work, which will be over a year.

What are the planned closures for I-10 west out of San Antonio [both NB and SB] the weekend of Memorial Day, specifically Saturday May 26, 2018 after 5:00 pm - need to get into and out of Boerne and Cordillera Ranch.
- Linda
We didn't have any closures! We actually avoid any major closures on major holiday weekends, period.
We're sorry we didn't reply sooner, Linda. Mail bag questions are collected and answered on this forum and not a place we offer immediate answers with direct emails. In the future you can check our weekly closures post online, or follow us on Twitter for real-time issues or answers.

Thank you for finally making a promise date, and opening up the WB access road at Old Fred on the 25th.
- Dave
We're as thrilled as anyone to see that kind of progress. We're hoping to keep the momentum! Right now Sundt is focusing on the new exit and entrance ramps so they can begin a successive chain of frontage road conversions. We're hoping to have all the major work done out there by the end of summer, though it's likely you'll still see equipment moving around into the fall just a little bit.
Bottom line: we're with y'all on this one. Fast is good when it comes to project delivery, and we're pulling all the levers we can to make it happen!

Is I-10 East still scheduled to be closed starting June 1? I saw something about it on your blog post from earlier in May. Just wondering if that is still the plan.
- Brad
It is - check out our latest closures list for updated plans.

Mail Bag: Traffic signals, Spring Branch Post Office, a whoopsie and more.

This is somewhat random, but I am curious how TxDOT decides whether a new traffic signal will have metal arms or a cable to hold up traffic lights.
For example, the new light at SH 46 and FM 758 in New Braunfels utilizes cables, while the recent install less than a mile up the road at Avery has metal arms. I notice similar discrepancies at FM 1101 and FM 306. I find the metal arms more attractive, but is there a huge difference in installation and maintenance costs? Any consideration for consistency along the same road or within a city?
- John

You didn't ask the question outright but others may ask; we posted before on how we determine when or where to install a signal. If you've not read it yet, John, you may find in it an interesting (hopefully) read to set the foundation of a conversation on signal installation.
Down to your actual questions. Determination between use of span wires or mast arms most often boils down to engineer discretion. They have a number of options they can use for a number of reasons. More often than not it boils down to money, though. Using span wires saves us about 20 percent over the mast arms and this is an easy way we're able to trim costs to keep a project under budget.

Existing electrical wiring plays a factor in the design; if the wires are in the air at a particular location it's highly unlikely we'll use mast arms. The last major factor is the plan for future development. If we know one of the intersecting streets is to be expanded in the relatively near future we may choose the span wires. This helps during construction and makes arranging the intersection a lot simpler for our contractors.
Hopefully that helps!


With all of the major construction taking place on I-10 and Foster Road area, many drivers (including me) are starting to avoid the congestion on I-10 by taking FM 1346 to I-410. I live in St Hedwig and travel FM 1346 to 410 daily and then continue my drive to the NW side of town for work. Since more traffic has decided to go FM 1346, this has created a serious bottleneck, sometimes a mile long of cars waiting to go through an old 4 way stop design (flashing yellow light). What puzzles me is that if I turn on Foster Road to head back towards I-10, there is presently a traffic light at a non busy intersection of an industrial complex. Do you have any immediate plans to put a traffic light at this busy intersection to help ease some of the congestion that exists daily, and not to mention the safety factor of all this as well? There is also a new beginning stage of a multi-home subdivision at that intersection. Please let me know, thank you.
- Wesley
It sounds like a temporary situation has been developed at that intersection resulting from folks seeking ways around a construction project, and we would need to be sure that situation won't disappear when the project on I-10 finishes and traffic returns to its old pattern.
As we mentioned above we have strict requirements dictating when and where we install signals.
The signal on Foster Road at Cal Turner is not on a state-maintained road. While local municipalities typically turn to our Texas Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices for guidance, that isn't always the case. You'll have to reach out to Bexar County or the city of San Antonio to determine what factors played into approval of that signal.
We've added the intersection of FM 1346 and Foster Road to our list of intersections needing a warrant study - we'll see what the actual data looks like. If a signal is indeed warranted we'll install it.

Any update when 281 north bound lanes at the Spring Branch Post Office will start up to eliminate the bypass around the Spring Branch Post Office?
- Ray
As of the moment we're writing this answer we expect to receive bids on this project in March (yes, this year) and should be underway with construction by mid-summer. The nearly $800,000 project should last no more than a year.


A few days ago a question was posted regarding the I-35 project and the concern about the left lane on northbound 35 before Walzem. The answer given was that with the work over the weekend the project should be completed. The northbound lanes still have the issue where the left lane disappears at Walzem. There appears to be room for the lane to continue but it essentially ends. Is this going to be the final project? Thank you for your time.
- Brian
You're absolutely right. We were operating on old information here in our public information office and the work we had on our schedules didn't end up happening. We are told it will happen within the next month and a half, opening up that lane that's sorely needed and giving drivers the final configuration they've been waiting about four years to enjoy.


Why was the exit ramp from Loop 1604 west to Gold Canyon closed and removed during the direct connect project?
- Marshall
That was about safety and redundancy more than anything. Bear with us here.
We'll start with a look at the layout of Loop 1604 between Gold Canyon and Redland Road. At that stretch there are three lanes - two normal through lanes and an auxiliary lane at the far right of the road.
That auxiliary lane ties the entrance ramp from Redland to the exit ramp to US 281. Adding an extra ramp would add another conflicting traffic pattern to an area already laden with three directions of traffic.
Hopefully that makes sense. If not ... let us know and we'll give it another go.


Has there been any mention of possibly opening sections of the new I-10 lane expansion between the RIM and Ralph Fair as they're completed? Or will the lanes open once the entire project is completed?
- Mike

Glad you asked. The plan here is to open the lanes as they're finished - so an incremental opening. This means about halfway through the project we'll have three lanes in each direction - all general purpose, open to everyone.
At the end of the project we'll open up that HOV lane in each direction, making I-10 four lanes each direction between Ralph Fair Road and Loop 1604.
It seemed like a good idea to us at the time, and we are going to work hard to ensure it goes well in practice.
By the way, that first incremental gift is still about a year away from happening ... but you'll see our crews working to prepare the overpasses for expansion over the next several weeks.


When is FM 1376 in Kendall county repaired and ditches along shoulders repaired. With the increase in traffic of large vechiles moving over is not an option; the washouts would cause blow outs.
- Olin
Thanks for letting us know about the issue, Olin. We don't have any plans on the books for reconstruction of the road at the moment, but we'll pass your note along to our planners and maintenance crews to see if we can get it on the list!

Mail Bag: Loop 1604 speed limits, US 281 Spring Branch, Ralph Fair Road

There's some confusion with the service road speed limits between Bandera and Braun for the Loop 1604 area. During construction, the speed limit was 45, then some 40 mph signs showed up, but were quickly covered with trash bags. Now the 45 mph construction signs are gone and the 40 mph signs are back. On one side there's several permanent signs present within a few yards of each other going from 40 to 45 and back to 40 mph. Two questions on this: Why did it go to a lower speed limit post-construction? Seems backward. And why on earth are there so many permanent speed limit changes going from Braun to Bandera in such a tight space? Sadly, no one is obeying any of them and will run anyone down that is trying to keep the speed limit which is really confusing with all the changes there.

- Rick

Thanks, Rick, for your note. The first issue is the discrepancy between speed limits along the frontage road. Here's what I got, to that issue, via email from our project engineer Wednesday:

The conflicting speed limit signs should have been fixed already. I was told yesterday that they were done. There should be no 45’s only 40’s.

On to the question about the drop in speed limit along here. The answer is fairly simple: when we had the speed limits posted at 45 mph, these frontage roads were essentially serving as the main lanes of Loop 1604 (because they were the only lanes). Now, with the main lanes open and in use (posted at 60 mph, by the way), the frontage road limits are being set at 40.

It seems slow right now, we get it. Just hang tight for a bit and a lot of development is coming in the near future. Just off the top of our heads (based on huge signs at locations) there's a large storage facility, a convenience store, a large community church and a strip mall coming in the near future. That development doesn't even account for the already existing locations that have bolstered frontage or added signs (we're looking at you, gymnastics center).

Truth is, folks in the area should be ready for a boom in commercial development and the resultant increase in traffic along these frontage roads. When that happens, the 40 mph speed limit will make more sense.

US 281 at the Spring Branch post office is a bottle neck. I am sure it also has the effect of keeping the speed limits from being raised to match the roadway that has been built. How can this highway improvement have been built without making arrangements for the USPS and the bottle neck it has caused?
- Glen
Well ... thanks for drudging up the past! Kidding.
This is an issue we discussed quite a bit back in 2014. For a few posts of note, check here or here. We were asked last year about the issue, and we don't have a lot of movement to report.

As of this spring the USPS told us they were expecting to be at their new location and vacating our property by summer 2017. That is, so long as the new proposed location at the corner of Blazing Meadow Road and US 281 is under construction thus summer.

A while back, I remember reading a detailed projection of the work between Ralph Fair Rd and Fair Oaks Pkwy. I noticed work has begun along that corridor. I may have missed it, but I was wondering what the latest updates are.
- AJ
Work has, indeed, begun! We've been underway since March now. We did see a pretty decent delay due to weather in April and May, and we lost about a month of good work.
This weekend you'll experience a slew of closures between Ralph Fair Road and Fair Oaks Parkway. We're not going to sugar coat this: it's going to be difficult to drive through. We need to extend some asphalt across the four ramps through here so we're ready to switch traffic next week. This means we'll close alternating ramps Saturday (July 16) throughout the day. We'll only have one ramp closed at a time, but we expect to see some significant impact from each closure.
Work is set to begin about 6 a.m. Saturday. We're hoping to have things finished by sundown Saturday.
Again, we'll have all four ramps closed, one at a time, for a few hours at a time. We will have off-duty police officers managing traffic at the intersections of I-10 and Ralph Fair Road and at Fair Oaks Parkway, as appropriate.
Next weekend we'll be working to shift traffic on the westbound main lanes over about 15-20 feet in order to make room to build the new overpass at Old Fredericksburg Road. To prepare for that work we'll have a continuation of the overnight closures we've had here for the last week or two.
We'll get to the eastbound main lanes 2-3 weeks after we get the westbound lanes situated.

What is going on Ralph Fair Road north of I-10? There have been daily lane closures with no announcements causing major delays for local traffic. Seems like they are doing some surveying and pushing around some dirt but why couldn't they just set the barriers instead of backing the whole area up? How long will these continue to happen?
- Danko
You're not the only one to ask. We posted on this just last week - let us know if you have any further questions after checking it out!

I know this has been asked before but when will all the construction be completed at Boerne Stage Rd and Ralph Fair? It just seems to be so close to being completed but dragging out. Will it be done before school starts?
- Christina
What's going on with the service road lanes on both sides between Ralph Fair Road and Boerne Stage Road? It seems the construction site has been abandoned as no progress has been made in what appears to be months. Also, this project seems to be WAY past a scheduled completion date. Wasn't this started in 2013?
- Gerard
Gerard, we'll start with your initial questions. You're mixing two separate projects:
The first involved the expansion of the Ralph Fair Road bridge, including some upgrades to the intersection and conversion of the frontage roads between Ralph Fair and Boerne Stage to one-way roads. That did indeed start a number of years back, and Sundt Construction finished that project up a year ago.
The second project, being built by Texas Sterling Company, started March 2015. You can see the numbers all right here - the project ID is 0072.07.059. To be very blunt, yes - we should have been wrapping up about now. Unfortunately, this whole project has been wonky in terms of scheduling, due in large part to utility conflicts and weather.
Since those issues have resolved, we've been working with Texas Sterling to return appropriate resources to the project. They're out there working every day - just today we had crews working on the new westbound entrance ramp from Dominion Drive, set to open in August, and on the bridge over Leon Creek near Rudy's (set to reopen in October).
Our current projected completion date is the end of this year - which is, indeed, later than our earlier projection of September.

Mail bag: you've got questions, we've got answers

A week or two ago we quietly added a "contact us" form to the blog. If you've not noticed, look to the left of the screen. Find it yet? Yeah, you can type up whatever you're wanting to know in that box and it's sent directly to us.

This was done with some cautious optimism. This site is not intended for official feedback regarding TxDOT transportation projects. In fact, if you're wanting to request we do some work in a particular area take a look at the Alamo Area MPO - they're the ones who tell us what to do with our money here in the San Antonio area (and in Comal County, and in Guadalupe County, and in the city of Boerne...). Yes, that's an extremely basic and rudimentary description of the relationship between the MPO and TxDOT, but it gets the point across.

Bottom line: if you're interested in telling us what kind of project you'd like to see us do, talk to the MPO. If you've got a question about an active project, use the comment form on the left of your screen.

Alright, with all that said, it's time to grab out of the mail bag. We'll try to do this at least twice a month (if we've got enough questions!) moving forward: 

Every morning I have to get to 1604 from Hausman to avoid going to the I-10 and DeZavala intersection since it takes 4 or more light changes to get through. I go around to UTSA Blvd off Roadrunner Drive and I think it would help out all the traffic if there was a road like JV Bacon going from Hausman to UTSA Blvd. Might that be a possibility? Something in the works with all the construction going on here? It would be great! ...Just wondering and hoping.

- Eva

Well, Eva, you've got a few questions going on here. So let's take them one at a time....

The light cycles at I-10 and DeZavala should be improved for you now we have the turnarounds open during daytime hours. Beyond that, well, we've worked with the city of San Antonio to optimize those lights. In fact, the city is the lead on signal timing across the city - even on our roadways. There are a handful of intersections we maintain total control of, but the rule of thumb is the city maintains control.

The JV Bacon route is a city street, and the city should be thanked (or at least the contractor building stuff along that corridor who built JV Bacon and handed it over to the city). Hausman Road is also a city street, and the construction there is overseen by the city.

To get to brass tacks, any additional cross streets would be developed by the city and not by TxDOT. The good folks at your city council office can explain that process a little better, or you could go through the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Any update when the Spring Branch post office will be relocated to complete construction on Hwy 281?

- Ray

Great question, Ray. For those who aren't already familiar, the question is about the U.S. 281 expansion through Comal County, where a part of the project had to be altered because of a right-of-way issue involving the U.S. Post Office in Spring Branch. You can see more about this project here.

At this point, the project has been finished. What we did was build a "temporary" detour around the post office you're driving on now, and intend to keep that in place until we're ready to "finish" the road. Last time we checked, we were at least a year away from the post office relocating (that's all in their court). Once the post office is somewhere else, we'll find another contractor to demolish the building and build the rest of the road (there's not much to build). With the road complete, they'll obliterate the detour and put things as we had initially designed. The construction process should only take 4-6 months, but we don't anticipate beginning that until after 2016.

What is the status of the new bridge at Ralph Fair Road? Looks ready to be used but still not open.

- Jason 

The toughest part of construction, I think, is seeing a near-finished project you've patiently waited through a variety of closures to see crews work on. It looks like it's ready to use, but it's not quite there yet. That's the case with the new Ralph Fair Road (FM 3351) overpass at I-10.

We've still got a few smaller items to finish on the bridge, though you'll see traffic move over to use the "full" bridge in the next week or so. That will still only mean one lane each direction, allowing crews to match the first half of the bridge with the second. We anticipate having the full bridge open and in use by the end of this month - as long as weather holds.

One thing that I never see mentioned but I believe is tied in with the Wurzbach Parkway project is the construction of the Salado Creek Greenway between West Ave and Jones-Maltsberger. Will it open at the same time as WP or sooner or later? Thank you.

- Bob

Bob, you're absolutely correct. Along with constructing new parkway lanes (like an expressway, but slower...), we're extending the Salado Creek Greenway so that, when we're finished, the greenway will connect Hardberger Park with McAllister Park. Because of the needs to maintain the roadway portion, which weaves in and out of the trail (shown here in yellow), as a safe work zone, the new greenway remains closed until the parkway if finished. That is currently planned for this summer.

So, to those of you who like walking/hiking/biking the greenways (and there should be more of you out there than there currently are!), we'll ask you to remain patient much the same way we ask drivers who look forward to that final segment of the parkway to be finished. We're in the home stretch!

I'm a huge fan of your blog and truly appreciate being informed about construction in San Antonio. I have a suggestion for the blog: a summary of the work at 1-10 between Huebner and 1604 including before and after photos, if available. As a driver who passes this section of road each day, I can "feel" the difference but can't quite remember what it was like before the construction started. A good summary with photos can help us, the commuters, really appreciate all the work that has been done. Thanks for considering. 

- Amjed

Amjed, thanks for your fanhood. Spread the word! You've made a fine suggestion, so here's a peek:

Westbound main lanes at the old Woodstone/new DeZavala exit. Old is on the left, new on the right.

From the west-to-east turnaround at UTSA Boulevard, this look eastward shows a before-and-after look at the main lanes over DeZavala Road. The left photo was taken in 2013, after Webber Construction took over the project from Ballenger Construction. The photo at right was taken earlier this month.

I know that's not the best look at what you were hoping for, but finding a good "before" photo from UTSA Boulevard was tough to find!

There you go - our first "Mail Bag" entry. Have a question you'd like answered? Send us your question in the form on the left!