Parkway Progressing to U.S. 281

Project managers on the segment of Wurzbach Parkway between West Avenue and Jones-Maltsberger have confirmed they plan to begin work by the start of February on improvements along U.S. Highway 281 designed to connect the highway with the new parkway.

In order to properly connect the parkway with the busy highway, our crews will move some of the exit and entrance ramps, add a turnaround at Nakoma Drive and build exit and entrance ramps from the parkway to the frontage roads of U.S. Highway 281. The work will require occasional lane closures - mostly at night - and, during some phases, narrower main lanes.

Work is set to start on north-bound Highway 281 first. Crews will move the Bitters Road exit back - it will be the new Wurzbach Parkway exit - and build a new exit ramp for Bitters Road about a quarter-mile north. The entrance ramp from Nakoma will be adjusted to the north a bit and built as a "braided ramp" in tandem with the new Bitters exit.

Clear as mud yet? Hopefully the picture helps a bit - yellow areas are being torn down, pink is new roadway, purple areas mark bridges. Blue areas are just areas where the pavement will be widened.

What does all this mean for you as a driver? Two things: First, we're getting that much closer to finishing this project! The parkway is expected to be finished (the segment between West Avenue and Jones-Maltsberger is the final segment) by the start of 2015. Second, you'll likely see lane closures begin to alter your daily commute. Most of the closures really won't be that invasive - we're going to keep the big stuff to night-time lane closures.

Those lane closures will be posted right here as they crop up. You'll also see them on Twitter, posted online and announced to the media. So perk up your ears - digital or otherwise - and please be safe!