Fred-Med project set to start

Work on a $14.6 million Texas Department of Transportation effort to more freely usher traffic into the South Texas Medical Center by bridging Fredericksburg Road over Medical Drive is set to begin Sept. 24 and should wrap up by the start of 2015.

This look at Medical Drive, looking from the South Texas Medical Center, shows what the final product will look like.

Texas Sterling Construction, of Houston, won the contract for the project early this summer. With most of the utilities adjustments completed in anticipation of the project, crews will be able to go right to work.

The project has been anticipated by folks at the medical center for quite a while. The prospect of eliminating critical minutes from the travel time into the medical center with the final product could save some lives – not to mention the safety enhancements brought by eliminating the cross traffic from this intersection.

Over the course of the first week Texas Sterling Construction is planning to set up barricades and begin work on a pair of manholes on Medical Drive, east of Fredericksburg Road. Project supervisors say the bulk of work during the ensuing weeks will be done out of the way of the current travel lanes.

Work will be done six days per week. Lane closures on the project are limited, by contract, to night time closures. The single exception is a two-week milestone on the project to allow crews to build the actual bridge structure on Fredericksburg Road, expected to occur late 2014. During that milestone all through traffic on Fredericksburg Road will be closed. At least one lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction on Medical Drive through the duration of the work.

Funding for the $14.6 million project comes from traditional resources, including the motor fuels tax and contributions from local municipalities.

The latest on the I-10 Huebner project

In August Webber Construction reopened all lanes on the Fredericksburg Road overpass bridge, signaling the end of the second of two major milestones on the I-10 Huebner project.

While traffic is still pinched pretty hard around DeZavala Road, flow is pretty smooth on the eastbound side during the morning commute - at least, that's according to a few TxDOT folks who use the route as part of their daily commute.

In fact, most of the work happening across the project is focused on the DeZavala area:

• Crews are building a temporary eastbound exit to DeZavala for use while the permanent ramp is rebuilt
• Retaining walls are still being worked on at UTSA Boulevard (it's all about the soil nail walls, which have really been giving workers fits since early 2012...)

Before the east-to-west turnaround bridge at UTSA can be built, the soil nail walls and accompanying structures need to be built. The improved exit ramp to DeZavala needs to be done, also. Though the support structures are in place for that bridge, work on the other items is holding up the development of that turnaround.

The biggest thing to take away from this post - work on the DeZavala overpass bridge will begin, most likely, sometime around the end of the year. When that happens, lanes on I-10 will squeeze down to 11 feet wide (right now they're about 12 feet wide), and lanes will be scooted over to allow for work. We'll keep three lanes open in each direction, but those lanes will be tight. Remember: we'll be in the next milestone for about a year....

Right now we don't have an exact date for that to start, but we want daily commuters to know that's coming up over the next few months. If you'd like to avoid the area completely, the time for seeking some alternate routes is now!

Comal County project round-up

It's been a little while, and some big things have been happening. So ... let's take a look at the latest in Comal County....

Seguin Avenue

Monday morning crews contracted by TxDOT shut down Seguin Avenue at the UPRR crossing - essentially between Nacogdoches Avenue and Hampe Avenue - in New Braunfels. That closure will last six months. We've discussed it here at length, so let's skip most of the redundancy and just look at what's happening so far....

First, the posted detour route changed a little. Rather than routing traffic on Nacogdoches, Comal Street and Hampe, the city of New Braunfels asked we use Faust, Comal and Hampe. Folks are still going to Nacogdoches, and that's just fine. Be aware the signs will direct folks to Faust, though. The thought behind the change is that traffic at Faust is not stopped by a stop sign at Comal, and the turn isn't as shart off Seguin to Faust. This will allow space for trucks to get where they need to go without undue trouble.

With Seguin Ave closed at the UPRR crossing, traffic is using Nacogdoches or Faust to get to Comal and then to Hampe to get along their way.

Whatever the route, traffic seems to be moving smoothly enough. No major issues have been noted by those on the project site.

So far, most of the work has involved the removal of the old brick-and-mortar retaining walls. The stones are being preserved and cleaned, and will be re-set by hand as a facade for the new retaining wall. The guys in the field say the old ones were really hard to get out, too - good, old-fashioned craftsmanship!

The old stone is being carefully removed and hauled off to a site to be washed and restored. It will be placed by hand along the new retaining wall to preserve the historic look of the underpass.

FM 306

After speaking with the project personnel on this project this morning, it's hard to not be excited about how quickly things are moving. Barring any unforeseen delays, we should have at least one railroad overpass (near Hunter Lane) in service by the start of 2014. The other overpass (near Goodwin) shouldn't be more than two months behind that.

Hunter Industries - our contractor on that project - is developing a plan to clean up and expand the intersection of Hunter Lane. Hunter Lane is the traditional road folks use to get to Historic Gruene, and we've got a sign out there telling folks they can't turn left (toward Gruene, coming from I-35) at the intersection. Instead, we've been re-routing folks onto Common Street since May.

The idea, I'm told, is to expand the intersection to what it'll be looking like when we're all done as quickly as they can. That'll give folks a protected left-turn lane into Gruene, easing up some of the traffic there.

Completing the intersection at Hunter Lane is a priority for project personnel.

But "soon" to the contractor and "soon" to Joe Q. Traveler are apples and oranges sometimes. To be fair, Hunter Industries is flat-out moving on this job. But by "soon", they're hoping to have that intersection in action sometime before next summer; the plans drafted by TxDOT designers showed the intersection being shrunk down to what it is now for another year or so.

In fact, the contractor is pushing hard to finish almost all the work they can between I-35 and Hunter that isn't a bridge. That mostly has to do with the fact they're hitting a stopping point at the bridges due to some utilities conflicts - at Goodwin, for instance, the bridge structure can't be built any higher until the power lines and the phone and cable lines are lifted higher. That's not happening quite yet. One utility company is saying they may not be finished with their work for another eight months.

The overpass bridge at Goodwin is about as far built as it can go until the utility lines are moved out of the way.

For those of you in the area, it's not a locally owned utility company that's eating up all that time; I won't mention any names, though.

At any rate, a drive through the project will show the contractor's aim; drain inlets are being put in left and right (literally), and retaining walls are being formed. By the end of the year, we may see a traffic switch that will seperate the eastbound traffic and the westbound traffic, allowing the contractor to do all the work they need to do right down the middle of the road.

By years' end, project bosses are hoping to have traffic driving on the shoulder areas being built up now; road crews will then be able to move into the center area of the proposed roadway to work.

US 281 (Spring Branch)

With major power companies already gone through (now) to move power poles that were once planted firmly in the middle of our new roadway lanes, the contractor is almost ready to start paving. Last week they had most of the road base built - like a dirt foundation for the road itself - and were sealing the surface of that base with a mixture of oil, tar and gravel.

Road builders have busily sealed the roadway base and prepped most of the new road on the north end of the project for asphalt. Project bosses hope to find a way to move traffic onto this new road before the end of the year.

Most of the work near pavement-ready is easy to see - especially at the intersection of US 281 and FM 306 near the Blanco County line. But we're working on some other areas, and hope to have the south portion of the roadway ready for traffic soon as well.

Again, that's "soon" - as in, within a few months.

The most common question asked is about the US Post Office. Still no answers on our end; we're anxious to have that issue resolved, though, as that property is the last one holding up the work on the project. Once it's out of the contractor's way, folks in the area will be pleasantly surprised at how fast the project gets finished.

The view from the ridge south of the US Post Office. Clearing work is underway here, but the contractor is hoping to work hard at building the actual road as soon as the Post Office property is open to be worked on.

Next week's construction-related road closures

Interstate 10

Friday-Saturday, September 5-6

10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily

Westbound frontage road between Ramsgate and Huebner roads (northwest San Antonio)

The left lane will close while crews remove overhead highway sign legs.

 

Saturday, September 6

9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Eastbound frontage road at Whataburger (northwest San Antonio)

The dedicated right-turn lane will close while crews fix a drain box. Traffic will turn right at the traffic signal. Expect delays.

 

Monday-Friday, September 9-13

9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Eastbound frontage road between UTSA Boulevard and DeZavala Road (Northwest San Antonio)

The left lane will be closed to allow trucks to haul dirt. Expect delays.

 

Monday-Friday, September 9-13

9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly

Westbound main lanes between Wurzbach Road and DeZavala Road (northwest San Antonio)

Alternating lanes will close while crews set and move concrete barrier. Expect delays.

 

Monday-Friday, September 9-13

9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly

Eastbound main lanes between UTSA Boulevard and Fredericksburg Road (northwest San Antonio)

Alternating lanes will close while crews set drain boxes and move concrete barrier. This closure includes the exit ramps to DeZavala Road and to Fredericksburg Road and the entrance ramp from UTSA Boulevard. Traffic will use the Huebner Road exit and turnaround to exit, or next available entrance ramp. Expect delays.

 

Tuesday-Wednesday, September 10-11

10 p.m. until 2 a.m.

Eastbound entrance ramp from DeZavala and exit to Frontage Road (northwest San Antonio)

The entrance ramp from DeZavala and the exit to Frontage Road (the exit to USAA) will close overnight while crews remove overhead highway signs. Traffic will use the next exit and turnaround. Expect delays.

 

Interstate 35

Saturday-Sunday, September 7-8

12:01 a.m. until 10 a.m. nightly (early morning hours only)

Southbound I-35 between Powell Street and Malone (downtown)

Alternating lanes will close while crews repave the road. Expect delays.

 

Sunday-Friday, September 8-13

10 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly

Northbound I-35 between Powell Street and Malone (downtown)

Alternating lanes will close while crews repave the road. This closure will include the exit and entrance ramps from west-bound U.S. Highway 90 and the entrance ramp from eastbound U.S. Highway 90. Traffic will follow posted routes. Expect delays.

 

Sunday-Friday, September 8-13

9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly

Main lanes, both directions, between Olympia Parkway and Schertz Parkway (Selma-Schertz)

The two inside lanes will close in each direction while crews construct the center median barrier. Expect delays.

 

Wednesday-Thursday, September 11-12

8 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily

Northbound main lanes between Loop 1604 and Fisher Road (south Bexar County)

Alternating lanes will close while crews switch existing traffic patterns. Expect delays.

 

Interstate 37

Saturday-Friday, September 7-13

6 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly

Southbound main lanes between U.S. Highway 181 and the Atascosa River (south Bexar County)

Alternating lanes will close while crews repave the roadway. Expect delays.

 

Interstate 410

Monday, September 9

9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

Southbound exit ramp between Old Pearsall Road and the UPRR bridge (southwest San Antonio)

The exit ramp will close while crews make adjustments to the ramp. Traffic will use next available ramp and turnaround.

 

Loop 1604

Sunday, September 8

9 p.m.

Exit ramps – both directions – to northbound I-35

The ramps from both directions of Loop 1604 to northbound I-35 will close until mid-October while crews construct a bridge support structure for the northbound I-35 exit ramp to Forum Parkway. Traffic will exit Pat Booker Road and follow the Loop 1604 and I-35 frontage roads through Forum Parkway to reach northbound I-35. Expect long delays and consider alternate routes, such as FM 2252 or FM 78.

 

Monday-Thursday, September 9-12

9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily

Northbound lanes between Marbach Road and Emory Peak

Alternating lanes will close while crews construct curbs and widen the road. Expect delays.

 

U.S. Highway 90

No closures schedule.

 

U.S. Highway 281

Monday-Friday, September 9-13

10 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly

Southbound main lanes between Interpark and North Park Drive (near the Airport)

The right lane will close while crews form and pour bridge support structures related to the Wurzbach Parkway project. This will impact traffic entering the highway from Bitters Road and exiting to Nakoma Drive. Expect delays.

 

Monday-Friday, September 9-13

10 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly

Southbound frontage road between Interpark and North Park Drive (near the Airport)

The two left lanes will close while crews form and pour bridge support structures related to the Wurzbach Parkway project. Expect delays.

 

Other roads

Monday, September 9

1 a.m.

Business 46 (Seguin Avenue) at UPRR Railroad (New Braunfels)

All lanes will close six months while crews widen the road and rebuild the railroad overpass. Traffic will detour to Faust Street, Comal Street and back to Seguin Avenue. Expect delays.

 

All planned lane closures are pending weather.

BIG CLOSURE: Loop 1604 ramps to NB I-35 (northeast San Antonio)

Crews will close the ramps from Loop 1604 onto northbound I-35 Sunday, Sept. 8, to allow safe construction of support structures on a new northbound exit ramp from I-35 to Forum Parkway.

The ramps will remain closed for about a month. Traffic will instead exit Pat Booker Road and follow the frontage road through the Forum Parkway intersection before entering northbound I-35. This closure will impact traffic on Loop 1604 in both directions.

 

With the ramps from Loop 1604 to northbound I-35 closed, traffic will exit Pat Booker Road and follow the frontage road through Forum Parkway.

Timing of the signal at Forum Parkway will be adjusted to accommodate the heavier traffic flow from the closure.

 

Local residents and commuters are advised to try alternate routes – like FM 2252 through Garden Ridge or FM 78 through Converse – to reach their destinations.

 

The ramps from Loop 1604 onto northbound I-35 will be reopened by early October. The northbound exit to Forum Parkway from I-35, which has been closed since late January, should be finished before the holiday shopping season.

 

The new Forum Parkway exit will be a braided-style ramp, with exiting vehicles bridging over traffic from Loop 1604 to northbound I-35. The effort is part of the $24 million expansion of I-35 through Selma and Schertz, adding an auxiliary lane in each direction between Loop 1604 and FM 3009.