Apologies for the dearth of posts over the last week. Fair warning: next week will be similarly sparse. There's a single contributor to these posts, and he was out of the office much of this week and will likewise be out next week.
In that vein, Happy Opening Day, everyone! Well, an early wish, anyway.
But you came here to read about roads, not baseball. With that, here's a brief run-down on the latest concerning our most major projects:
I-10 Huebner
Concerted efforts continue to finish retaining walls along the expanded edges of main lanes between UTSA Boulevard and Huebner Road. This will allow the contractor to build the wider roadway and shift traffic for the upcoming milestone at the DeZavala overpass bridge. That's also why we're knocking out the center median barrier near DeZavala; to facilitate the shift.
When we reach the milestone (no specific date has been set yet) we'll shift traffic over to one side of the bridge, leaving the other side free for work. This shift will last six months, then we'll shift over to the other side to finish the work. All told, expect traffic to be squeezed onto one side or the other of that bridge for a total of about one year.
Only regular nightime closures and the occasional daytime frontage road closures we've had the last several weeks are disrupting traffic today.
Ralph Fair Road bridge
The project that will widen the Ralph Fair Road bridge has begun. No major closures yet; just be aware the area is an active construction zone and we'll have constantly changing landscape for the next year and a half.
Most of the work for the next couple of weeks will involve some simple excavation and some culvert work.
Main Street Boerne
We're hoping to get the Cibolo Creek bridge finished on Main Street (U.S. Hwy 87) in Boerne soon. Relmco Construction has been on that project, and they're planning to close the bridge overnight a few nights in April - April 8 and 9, to be exact - to finish the bridge deck surface. Ths should be near the last work we've got left on this project, and we should be clear of the area by the end of April.
Hwy 39 Ingram
Another Relmco project, we're now about two full months into the second phase of expanding Hwy 39 through Ingram. We're working on some of the more difficult portions of the underground drain system, which is often about 12 feet deep with large structures. A lot of this is slow-going work, particularly with the abundance of rain we've had in the region lately. As we continue through this big, deep stuff, folks will start seeing more of the fruits of our work as the culverts and retaining walls are more visible.
With the widening on the south side of the Johnson Creek Bridge continuing, we should have all the "bones" of the bridge in place by the end of April. That will allow the full expansion of the bridge before summer, with sidewalks on the bridge reopening soon after.
Hwy 281 Comal
The Spring Branch project, worked by Hunter Industries, continues to move at a near unparalleled pace. Hunter says they'll be ready to move traffic onto the remaining southbound lanes - through the old Gass property, just south of Jumbo Evans Park - near the first part of April. This will be much like the earlier switch onto the southbound lanes, near FM 306, with traffic still limited to a single lane in each direction.
On the northbound side, Hunter is hoping to have everything ready to open by July Fourth, when final paving surfaces will be placed.
As for the Post Office, we're actually building around the building rather than hold up the job to build through it as the plans call for. That detour, the little "bubble route" (this is Texas, right? Football terms should work...), will go to the west side of the Post Office. Later, once the right-of-way issues are resolved, the building will be removed and the road will be placed in its intended path.
FM 306
Somewhere around the second week of April, Hunter Industries is hoping to move traffic between Goodwin Lane and I-35 onto the future outside lanes and open up the middle area for work. This is similar to the traffic switch that happened a month or so ago between Common Street and Hunter Lane.
We're still operating with the goal of having both railroad overpasses open and rolling in time for Memorial Day weekend. We should also have the road widened between Goodwin and I-35, providing some extra space for traffic headed to the businesses along that stretch.
Seguin Avenue
Not much more to report here than we're still pushing forward, preparing to open the underpass by April 15. When we open it, we'll only have one lane in each direction open at first; we've still got some work left to do, and will be moving forward on that work as we prepare to be done and out of the way completely by summertime.
I-35 Selma
Those who've driven through the area have noticed Dan Williams Co. have opened everything up - and by everything, I mean all the exit and entrance ramps - between FM 3009 and Loop 1604. Most of the pavement is in place for the widening. Right now resources are being allocated to finish the south-to-north turnarounds at FM 3009 and at FM 1518. We hope to have them functional and open by mid-April.
Once that's done, we'll see the project get final surfaces of asphalt where it's still needed. Then we'll restripe the roadway where needed, and have the extra lane open in each direction. We're still on pace to be out of the way, as promised, by the end of the school year.
I-35 SAMMC
Lane Construction is working hard on portions of the north end, near Windcrest, while maintaining good pace on the south end of the project. Their hope is that, come 2015, we'll be working primarily on the south side of the project (closer to SAMMC) and on the new connector ramp from I-35 to southbound I-410.
Routine overnight closures are still running, but we'll be limiting closures through April for Fiesta. That shouldn't bog down much of this project; there's a lot to do outside the current travel lanes.
I-10 east San Antonio
This is that segment of I-10 near New Braunfels Ave. that's been on hold the last six months. We're back underway, and the contractor should be constructing the "detour" area (an asphalt area onto which we'll switch traffic to create a work zone) over the next few weeks. Expect to see a lot more activity and, by the end of April, a traffic switch. That shouldn't impact traffic more than it's already been impacted. The overall project - an effort to create room between the main lanes and overpass bridges in the area - will finish by fall 2015.
Wurzbach Parkway
The biggest news on this is that the Blanco Road overpass bridge should be opened up and ready for use by next weekend. We had crews scheduled to pave the bridge deck surface earlier this week, but that work was washed out by the rain that blew through the region.
The remaining work should take just 4-5 working days, if weather permits. Crews are scheduled to start that work early next week, and we should finally be able to put that western segment of the Parkway to rest.
Friday, March 28
Next week's construction-related closures
Interstate 10
Sunday-Friday, March 30-April 4
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Main lanes, both directions, between Huebner Road and UTSA Boulevard (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close while crews tear out concrete rails. Expect delays.
Monday-Friday, March 31-April 4
9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily
Frontage road, both directions, between Huebner Road and UTSA Boulevard (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close while crews lay pipe. Expect delays.
Monday-Friday, March 31-April 4
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Frontage road, both directions, between Huebner Road and UTSA Boulevard (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close while crews lay pipe. Expect delays.
Monday-Thursday, March 31-April 10
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Main lanes, both directions, between Pine Street and Roland Street (east San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close while crews place concrete traffic barriers. This is associated with the resumption of the active project on I-10 in east San Antonio. Expect delays.
Interstate 35
Monday-Friday, March 24-April 4
8 a.m. until 4 p.m. continuous
Turnaround between Rive Lane and Benton City Road (south Bexar County)
The southbound turnaround will close while crews lay final layers of asphalt. This closure includes the entrance ramp in the vicinity. Expect delays.
Monday-Friday, March 24-April 4
8 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily
Northbound main lanes between Loop 1604 and Fisher Road (south Bexar County)
Alternating lanes will close to facilitate asphalt work at the turnaround. Expect delays.
Sunday-Monday, March 30-31
9 p.m. until 5 a.m.
Southbound main lanes between Randolph Boulevard and Fratt Road (northeast San Antonio)
The right lane will close while crews place barrier. Expect delays.
Sunday-Tuesday, March 31-April 1
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Main lanes, both directions, between Loop 1604 and FM 3009 (Selma-Schertz)
Alternating lanes will close while crews install highway signs. Note at least two lanes will close at a time. Expect delays.
Monday, March 31
9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Northbound frontage road at George Beach (northeast San Antonio)
The left lane will close while crews construct metal guardrail. Expect delays.
Wednesday-Friday, April 2-4
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Southbound main lanes at Loop 1604 (Selma)
The two right lanes will close while paving crews lay asphalt. Expect delays.
Monday-Wednesday, April 7-9
9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly
Northbound main lanes between George Beach and Rittiman Road (northeast San Antonio)
The two left lanes will close while crews build permanent concrete barrier. Expect delays.
Wednesday-Thursday, April 9-10
9 p.m. until 5 a.m.
Main lanes, both directions, between Fairdale and Eisenhauer (northeast San Antonio)
The two left lanes will close while crews remove a sign. Expect delays.
Interstate 37
No closures planned.
Interstate 410
Friday-Monday, April 4-7
9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly
Main lanes, both directions, between Perrin Beitel and Randolph Boulevard (northeast San Antonio)
The left lane will close while crews install fiber communication lines. Expect delays.
Loop 1604
No closures planned.
U.S. Highway 90
No closures planned.
U.S. Highway 281
No closures planned.
Other roads
Friday-Saturday, March 28-29
8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily
State Highway 123 at FM 1339 (Guadalupe County)
Alternating lanes will close while crews place a surface mix of asphalt. Expect delays.
Thursday-Saturday, April 3-5
10 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly
Fredericksburg Road between Louis Pasteur and Data Point (medical center)
Alternating lanes will close while crews drill support structures under the roadway. Be aware this work will require steel plates on the roadway when work is not being done. Use caution.
Tuesday-Thursday, April 8-10
9 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly
U.S. Hwy 87 (Main Street) at Cibolo Creek (Boerne)
The Cibolo Creek bridge in downtown Boerne will close while crews pave the road. Traffic will use River Road, Esser Road and East Blanco Road to reach its destination. Expect delays.
All planned lane closures are pending weather.
Thursday, March 20
Blanco Road overpass
Few projects in San Antonio generate as many emails or phone calls as the Wurzbach Parkway project. Lately most of those have been about the Blanco Road overpass bridge.
The bridge remains under construction to resolve a ride-quality issue on the deck surface. That's been discussed in prior posts.
Today we received an approved batch design for an ultra-thin asphalt mix our contractor plans to use to level out the deck. Now we're waiting on a schedule of work from the paving crews (Clark Construction) and we'll have the work done.
This brings us one huge step closer to a final product on the first of three segments of Wurzbach Parkway currently being built. Earlier projections of having the bridge open the end of March are still reachable (though the schedule is a bit tight).
The middle segment - running from West Avenue to Jones-Maltsberger - is set to open mid-2015. The eastern segment - running from JM to Wetmore - will open this fall.
Wednesday, March 19
New project: Ralph Fair Road bridge
A new project is set to begin Monday (24 March), potentially impacting traffic in the Fair Oaks Ranch area.
The project is on I-10 at Ralph Fair Road. Most of the work is on the RFR bridge itself; we're rebuilding the bridge to accommodate growth in the area. It's also the start of a multi-project effort to convert the frontage roads through The Leon Springs/Fair Oaks Ranch area to one-way frontage roads, enhancing safety as growth continues.
Let's talk some details of the project....
Total estimated project cost is $7.6 million.
Project's estimated completion is late spring/early summer 2015.
Contractor is Sundt Construction.
For the first month or so, work will focus on adjusting the eastbound frontage road at RFR for construction. Drivers should keep in mind the frontage road will be converted to a one-way frontage road from near Aue Road to RFR. The westbound frontage road will also be converted to a one-way frontage road.
Let's clear something up: these frontage roads are currently two-way. We'll call the frontage road along the westbound main lanes the westbound frontage road (which it will be when we're done) and the frontage road on the eastbound side will likewise be called the eastbound frontage road.
Anyway, once our work on the eastbound frontage road finishes up for phasing work on the bridge will commence. In addition to expanding the bridge (today it has just a single lane in each direction; we'll have a bridge with three lanes each way when we're done) we are adding a west-to-east turnaround.
Over the next year-plus of work we'll prioritize keeping the bridge open to traffic and the exit ramp to RFR operable (the ramp will be rebuilt as part of the effort to convert the frontage road). Overnight closures of the bridge and I-10 main lanes will be used as needed to place bridge support beams and other structures.
The remaining work to convert frontage roads between The Dominion and Fair Oaks Ranch will begin in about a year.
Tuesday, March 18
I-35 Selma updates....
Earlier this week crews with Dan Williams Construction opened the southbound exit ramp to Olympia Parkway - and the entrance ramp from Retama Park - as they finished the concrete work in the area and the paving work completed.
By the way, that's a full week ahead of schedule.
Work on the southbound frontage road between FM 1518 and Forum Parkway isn't totally finished yet, though. Pavers were working in the area earlier today, and will continue through the week.
On the northbound side, the exit ramp to FM 1518 remains closed - for now. Pavers are making their way through the area and still need to work on the shoulder area of the main lanes. Overnight closures are already planned to pick up the barrier in the next week or so, which should allow the exit to reopen.
The folks running the job say the top priority for now is to get the remaining ramp work finished. Concrete crews are expected to return FM 3009 the first part of April to work on the south-to-north turnaround. The remaining work at that intersection will become the new priority when ramps are all reopened and frontage road paving is complete between FM 1518 and Loop 1604.
The rpoject is on pace to complete on time - by the end of the schoolyear.
By the way, that's a full week ahead of schedule.
Work on the southbound frontage road between FM 1518 and Forum Parkway isn't totally finished yet, though. Pavers were working in the area earlier today, and will continue through the week.
On the northbound side, the exit ramp to FM 1518 remains closed - for now. Pavers are making their way through the area and still need to work on the shoulder area of the main lanes. Overnight closures are already planned to pick up the barrier in the next week or so, which should allow the exit to reopen.
The folks running the job say the top priority for now is to get the remaining ramp work finished. Concrete crews are expected to return FM 3009 the first part of April to work on the south-to-north turnaround. The remaining work at that intersection will become the new priority when ramps are all reopened and frontage road paving is complete between FM 1518 and Loop 1604.
The rpoject is on pace to complete on time - by the end of the schoolyear.
THIS week's construction-related closures
Funny thing about big fingers and new technology: I thought I pushed "publish", when really all I did was push "save"....
Here's the week in a nutshell:
Here's the week in a nutshell:
Interstate 10
Monday-Friday, March 17-21
9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily
Frontage road, both directions, between Huebner Road and UTSA Boulevard (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close while crews lay pipe.
Monday-Friday, March 17-21
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Frontage road, both directions, between Huebner Road and UTSA Boulevard (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close while crews lay pipe.
Sunday-Friday, March 16-21
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Westbound main lanes between Huebner Road and UTSA Boulevard (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close while crews demolish the center median barrier. This closure includes the exit ramp to UTSA Boulevard. Traffic will use the frontage road exit and turn around to reach UTSA Boulevard. Expect delays.
Sunday-Friday, March 16-21
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Eastbound main lanes between Huebner Road and UTSA Boulevard (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close while crews demolish the center median barrier. Expect delays.
Interstate 35
Tuesday-Wednesday, March 18-19
9 p.m. until 5 a.m.
Northbound frontage road between Crestwind Drive and Tradewind Drive (northeast San Antonio)
The left lane will close while crews place barrier and crash cushions. This closure includes the entrance ramp from westbound I-410. Traffic will follow posted signs for detour. Expect delays.
Tuesday-Wednesday, March 18-19
9 p.m. until 5 a.m.
Northbound main lanes between Windcrest and Randolph Boulevard (northeast San Antonio)
The left lane will close while crews place barrier and crash cushions. Expect delays.
Wednesday-Thursday, March 19-20
9 p.m. until 5 a.m.
Southbound main lanes between the southbound I-410 exit and George Beach (northeast San Antonio)
The right lane will close while crews place barrier. Expect delays.
Interstate 37
Sunday-Friday, March 16-21
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Main lanes, both directions, between I-10 and I-35 (downtown)
Alternating lanes will close while crews seal cracks in the highway surface. Expect delays.
Interstate 410
Monday-Tuesday, March 17-18
9 p.m. until 5 a.m.
Eastbound main lanes between Austin Highway and the southbound I-35 exit (northeast San Antonio)
The right lane will close while crews install concrete barrier and crash cushions. This closure includes the exit to southbound I-35. Drivers will use the Weidner exit on northbound I-35 and turnaround to reach southbound I-35. Expect delays.
Monday-Friday, March 17-21
9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily
Frontage roads, both directions, between U.S. Hwy 87 and I-37 (southeast Bexar County)
Alternating lanes will close while crews seal cracks in the highway surface. Expect delays.
Loop 1604
No closures posted
U.S. Highway 90
No closures posted
U.S. Highway 281
No closures posted
Other roads
Sunday-Saturday, March 16-22
10 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly
Fredericksburg Road, both directions, between Louis Pasteur and Data Point (Medical Center)
Alternating lanes will close while crews cut and place trench boxes across Medical Drive for the construction of drill shafts and bridge abutments underground. Be aware this will result in steel plates laid across Fredericksburg Road during daytime traffic hours through the summer.
Monday-Friday, March 17-21
9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily
Highway 16 (Bandera Road) between Quincy Lee and Scenic Loop Road (Helotes-northwest San Antonio)Alternating lanes will close in both directions while crews seal cracks in the roadway. Expect delays.
All planned lane closures are pending weather.
Wurzbach Parkway
Blanco to West Ave
West Ave to Jones-Maltsberger
The contractor is ready to go on the repair of the bridge deck surface on the Blanco Road overpass. The plan for the fix - an asphalt overlay that will smooth the road out - has been approved. The paving contractor is on board and ready to go.
We're now waiting for the supplier - the asphalt plant - to mix up a batch of asphalt that's approved for bridge decks. The batch needed for he bridge is different than the asphalt normally used to pave roadways. As of today (March 18) contractors we're waiting for Vulcan to get the approved batch ready; a specific date hasn't been offered yet.
Once the asphalt batch is approved and available, workers will only need a few days to get. Equipment on site to do the work. The target is still the end of March.
West Ave to Jones-Maltsberger
Backfill, backfill, more backfill - that's the work Williams Brothers is doing right now. That and concrete work. The work is mostly related to drain structures through various parts of the parkway - particularly around U.S. Hwy 281 - as road crews make the foundation for the road.
With most of this work out of the way in upcoming weeks, crews can focus more on the new structures being built along U.S. 281. Some of this structure work can be seen at the southbound frontage road near Nakoma, as crews are building the support structures for the future eastbound exit ramp onto the U.S. 281 frontage road.
Jones-Maltsberger to Wetmore
Jones-Maltsberger to Wetmore
Most of the ongoing work involves the bridges at Mud Creek and Salado Creek, though some other tasks are cropping up as needed. Most are repairs and adjustments - like a pair of small sinkholes that cropped up after recent rainstorms.
Electricians have been instructed to turn on lights at the Starcrest intersection, providing much-needed light for drivers who've encountered occasional wildlife in the area. Asphalt crews are waiting for a string of good- weather days to finish the work at Jones-Maltsberger.
Work is on pace to finish this fall.
Monday, March 10
A backlog of blogs....
Apologies for failing to log an update last week. Several partial posts were written and left unpublished. Here are the finished versions:
I-35 SAMMC
The big highlight for now is concrete; Lane Construction is pourin all sorts of concrete through the project. Most of the work is on bridge support structures, including columns and column caps that will hold a new bridge to Thousand Oaks from the northbound I-35 frontage road.
The work at Thousand Oaks requires closures on the frontage road and the main lanes Saturday between 5 a.m. and noon to remove the side barrier of some existing structure. The contractor is pushing hard to finish the work in this Thousand Oaks/Windcrest area quickly to allow a concentration of work late in the project in the SAMMC/Rittiman Road area. We're still several months from finishing up on that northern piece, but that's the plan.
So much for the north end of the job. On the south end, the George Beach exit ramp (southbound side) is noticeably unchanged. We're planning to close the current exit and open a temporary exit much closer to George Beach. Well, we had an equipment issue involving the lighting of the planned temporary ramp a bit more than a week ago, causing project supervisors to delay the change. The electrical contractor is working on a fix, and we're waiting on a few administrative answers to determine the viability of proposed solutions. At the moment, we don't have a scheduled date for the switch, but we do know that switch will be on a Sunday night.
Column caps are set to be poured for the future bridge to southbound I-410. Several bridge support structures are planned in this area and most are still to be built; still, these structures are being built well ahead of schedule.
And that brings us to the big, overarching takeaway for this project: we're four months into a three-year job and we're running just a bit ahead of schedule. Keeping that pace may be tough in April, though, as we're limiting lane closures for Fiesta.
I-35 Selma
If near SAMMC the focus is on concrete, in the Selma-Schertz area the focus is on asphalt. Paving crews have been working on portions of the frontage roads being widened between FM 1518 and Forum Parkway for two weeks at this point, and the work continues. Wrapped in that paving work is the expansion of the northbound Olympia Parkway exit and the completion of the southbound Forum Parkway/Olympia Parkway exit. The northbound ramp remains open for this work, the southbound ramp is closed and will reopen later this month.
This work will mean continued alternating closures on the frontage road - particularly on the southbound side near Evans Road, where crews are rebuilding that southbound exit ramp to Olympia and Forum parkways.
A lot of people ask when the overall completion for this project is coming; work has been ongoing for about a year and a half at this point (the official start date is October 2012). Crews are still on pace for completion by the end of the school year, as promised when the project started.
U.S. 281 Comal
This project is best summed up with the following videos. By the way; this is a project that was initially expected to take more than two years; we're less than a year into work and nearly complete. Credit Hunter Industries for their hard work.
Southbound:
Northbound:
FM 306
Over the last two weeks a number of people have asked about lane closures announced via our digital message trailers. (Those things are actually called PCMBs, or Portable Changeable Message Boards, but we can call them whatever we want here....)
Well, here's the skinny (and I apologize for the delay):
The road will be totally closed at Goodwin Lane to allow bridge builders to pour concrete to form the bridge deck. We initially thought this concrete pour could happen without any road closures, then Hunter Industries checked out the lay of overhead power lines. With the power lines so nearby, cranes won't have an ability for extra movement - needed extra movement - from up on top of the bridge structures already built. To fix that, we're going to put the crane on the roadway itself. That means traffic on the roadway is a no-go.
The good news is this closure will be both brief and overnight. We had it scheduled Monday night into Tuesday, but it will now happen Wednesday night into Thursday, midnight until 4 a.m.
The second closure is to set beams at the Hunter Road railroad pass. Bridge support beams mark a major step closer to having that bridge built. The road will be closed from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. Thursday night into Friday morning. Those driving through will follow FM 1102 and Hoffman Road to get around the work.
Again, the closures are:
Wednesday night/Thursday morning, March 12-13; midnight until 4 a.m., at Goodwin Lane.
Thursday night/Friday morning, March 13-14; 7 p.m. until 6 a.m., at Hunter Road.
Hunter is still working with the goal to have both bridges in use by Memorial Day and in time for the summer months.
Seguin Avenue
A week and a half ago, masons took a crack at setting some of the old stone along the new retaining wall - creating a facade meant to retain the historic look the UPRR crossing had from its original construction in the 1930s. The test area looks pretty darned good, and masons will continue their work once the remaining bridge work is complete and the area is ready for the dressing.
As for the railroad overpass there, the bridge beams are in place - they were set a bit more than a week ago. Crews continue to assemble the bridge structure, and hope to have UPRR crews ready to move the tracks from the shoo-fly detour to the permanent bridge in the next week or so (if possible). This would allow for the shoo-fly to be taken down and the road under the railroad bridge to be built.
Project bosses are eying mid-April to open the road up to a single lane in each direction; they hope to have all work finished and be entirely out of the way in time for summer.
I-10 Ralph Fair Road
If this one doesn't seem immediately familiar, it's because the work hasn't yet begun. It will, though - in the next two weeks. Traffic impacts will happen almost immediately, as we set up the work area to replace (and upgrade) the FM 3351 bridge over I-10. We're also converting some of the frontage roads to one-way roads, a start to a two-plus year effort to convert all frontage roads on I-10 between Ralph Fair Road and Loop 1604 to one-way (some are already converted).
The contractor on the project, Sundt, is one of the largest in the nation. They've already found some cost savings in the contract and have helped by giving some $400,000 of the contracted price back to the state.
Updates on Fred-Med, I-10 Huebner and Wurzbach will be posted later this week.
I-35 SAMMC
The big highlight for now is concrete; Lane Construction is pourin all sorts of concrete through the project. Most of the work is on bridge support structures, including columns and column caps that will hold a new bridge to Thousand Oaks from the northbound I-35 frontage road.
The work at Thousand Oaks requires closures on the frontage road and the main lanes Saturday between 5 a.m. and noon to remove the side barrier of some existing structure. The contractor is pushing hard to finish the work in this Thousand Oaks/Windcrest area quickly to allow a concentration of work late in the project in the SAMMC/Rittiman Road area. We're still several months from finishing up on that northern piece, but that's the plan.
So much for the north end of the job. On the south end, the George Beach exit ramp (southbound side) is noticeably unchanged. We're planning to close the current exit and open a temporary exit much closer to George Beach. Well, we had an equipment issue involving the lighting of the planned temporary ramp a bit more than a week ago, causing project supervisors to delay the change. The electrical contractor is working on a fix, and we're waiting on a few administrative answers to determine the viability of proposed solutions. At the moment, we don't have a scheduled date for the switch, but we do know that switch will be on a Sunday night.
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| Just a friendly reminder the speed limit on I-35 between Georgetown and Thousand Oaks is 55 miles per hour. It's also a work zone, which means traffic fines double. |
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| Forms are set to build another column cap on the left, like the one on top of the columns at right. Project bosses hope to set beams this summer across northbound I-35 to build this ramp to southbound I-410 near SAMMC. |
I-35 Selma
If near SAMMC the focus is on concrete, in the Selma-Schertz area the focus is on asphalt. Paving crews have been working on portions of the frontage roads being widened between FM 1518 and Forum Parkway for two weeks at this point, and the work continues. Wrapped in that paving work is the expansion of the northbound Olympia Parkway exit and the completion of the southbound Forum Parkway/Olympia Parkway exit. The northbound ramp remains open for this work, the southbound ramp is closed and will reopen later this month.
This work will mean continued alternating closures on the frontage road - particularly on the southbound side near Evans Road, where crews are rebuilding that southbound exit ramp to Olympia and Forum parkways.
A lot of people ask when the overall completion for this project is coming; work has been ongoing for about a year and a half at this point (the official start date is October 2012). Crews are still on pace for completion by the end of the school year, as promised when the project started.
U.S. 281 Comal
This project is best summed up with the following videos. By the way; this is a project that was initially expected to take more than two years; we're less than a year into work and nearly complete. Credit Hunter Industries for their hard work.
Southbound:
Northbound:
FM 306
Over the last two weeks a number of people have asked about lane closures announced via our digital message trailers. (Those things are actually called PCMBs, or Portable Changeable Message Boards, but we can call them whatever we want here....)
Well, here's the skinny (and I apologize for the delay):
The road will be totally closed at Goodwin Lane to allow bridge builders to pour concrete to form the bridge deck. We initially thought this concrete pour could happen without any road closures, then Hunter Industries checked out the lay of overhead power lines. With the power lines so nearby, cranes won't have an ability for extra movement - needed extra movement - from up on top of the bridge structures already built. To fix that, we're going to put the crane on the roadway itself. That means traffic on the roadway is a no-go.
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| FM 306 will close at Goodwin while a crane sets up here to pour concrete on the bridge deck. |
The second closure is to set beams at the Hunter Road railroad pass. Bridge support beams mark a major step closer to having that bridge built. The road will be closed from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. Thursday night into Friday morning. Those driving through will follow FM 1102 and Hoffman Road to get around the work.
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| Crews will hang beams on these support structures Thursday night. |
Wednesday night/Thursday morning, March 12-13; midnight until 4 a.m., at Goodwin Lane.
Thursday night/Friday morning, March 13-14; 7 p.m. until 6 a.m., at Hunter Road.
Hunter is still working with the goal to have both bridges in use by Memorial Day and in time for the summer months.
Seguin Avenue
A week and a half ago, masons took a crack at setting some of the old stone along the new retaining wall - creating a facade meant to retain the historic look the UPRR crossing had from its original construction in the 1930s. The test area looks pretty darned good, and masons will continue their work once the remaining bridge work is complete and the area is ready for the dressing.
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| Masons set stone along a test portion of the retaining wall along Seguin Avenue; they will continue to set stone once the work on the railroad bridge is complete. |
Project bosses are eying mid-April to open the road up to a single lane in each direction; they hope to have all work finished and be entirely out of the way in time for summer.
I-10 Ralph Fair Road
If this one doesn't seem immediately familiar, it's because the work hasn't yet begun. It will, though - in the next two weeks. Traffic impacts will happen almost immediately, as we set up the work area to replace (and upgrade) the FM 3351 bridge over I-10. We're also converting some of the frontage roads to one-way roads, a start to a two-plus year effort to convert all frontage roads on I-10 between Ralph Fair Road and Loop 1604 to one-way (some are already converted).
The contractor on the project, Sundt, is one of the largest in the nation. They've already found some cost savings in the contract and have helped by giving some $400,000 of the contracted price back to the state.
Updates on Fred-Med, I-10 Huebner and Wurzbach will be posted later this week.
Saturday, March 8
Next week's construction-related closures
Interstate 10
Monday-Friday, 10-14 March
9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily
Frontage road, both directions, between Huebner Road and UTSA Boulevard (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close in both directions while crews lay pipe. Expect delays.
Monday-Friday, 10-14 March
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Frontage road, both directions, between Huebner Road and UTSA Boulevard (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close in both directions while crews lay pipe. Expect delays.
Sunday-Friday, 9-14 March
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Main lanes, both directions, between Loop 1604 and Fredericksburg Road (northwest San Antonio)
The left lanes will close in both directions while crews demolish the center median barrier. Expect delays.
Tuesday-Friday, 11-14 March
10 p.m. until 4 a.m. nightly
Eastbound main lanes between Ramsgate and I-410 (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close while crews mark the pavement. Expect delays.
Interstate 35
Sunday-Friday, March 2-28
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. continuous
Southbound exit ramp to Olympia Pkwy and Forum Pkwy (Selma)
The southbound exit to Olympia and Forum parkways (exit 173) will close three weeks while crews install barriers and finish the construction of the ramp. Traffic will use exit 174 to FM 1518 and Evans Road to reach its destination. This is a reminder of an ongoing closure.
Monday-Friday, March 10-14
8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily
Southbound frontage road between Evans Road and Forum Parkway (Selma)
Alternating lanes will close while crews pave the roadway. Expect delays.
Wednesday-Thursday, March 12-13
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m.
Northbound main lanes between Loop 1604 and FM 3009 (Selma)
The two left lanes will close while crews install overhead highway signs.
Thursday-Friday, March 13-14
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m.
Southbound main lanes between Loop 1604 and FM 3009 (Selma)
The two left lanes will close while crews install overhead highway signs.
Saturday, March 15
5 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Northbound frontage road between Crestwind Drive to Windcrest Drive (northeast San Antonio/Windcrest)
The left lane will close while crews replace barrier and demolish bridge overhang. This closure includes the entrance ramp to northbound I-35. Traffic will follow the posted detour signs to reach its destination.
Saturday, March 15
5 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Northbound main lanes between Walzem and the exit to westbound I-410 (northeast San Antonio/Windcrest)
The right lane will close while crews demolish the existing Thousand Oaks bridge. This closure includes the ramp from northbound I-35 to westbound I-410. Traffic will exit Weidner and use turnaround to reach westbound I-410.
Interstate 37
No closures scheduled.
Interstate 410
No closures scheduled.
Loop 1604
Sunday-Sunday, March 9-16
9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily
Main lanes and access road, both directions, between Bandera Rd and Culebra Rd (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close, including shoulders, for survey work.
U.S. Highway 90
No closures scheduled.
U.S. Highway 281
No closures scheduled.
Other roads
Tuesday, March 11
Midnight until 4 a.m. (Monday night into Tuesday morning)
FM 306 at Goodwin Lane (New Braunfels)
The road will close completely while crews pour concrete to form the UPRR overpass bridge. Traffic will use Common Street and Loop 337 to reach its destination. Expect delays.
Thursday-Friday, March 13-14
7 p.m. until 6 a.m.
FM 306 near Hunter Road (New Braunfels/Gruene)
The road will close completely while crews set beams to form the UPRR overpass bridge. Traffic will use FM 1102 and Hoffman Lane to reach its destination.
All planned lane closures are pending weather.
Monday-Friday, 10-14 March
9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily
Frontage road, both directions, between Huebner Road and UTSA Boulevard (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close in both directions while crews lay pipe. Expect delays.
Monday-Friday, 10-14 March
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Frontage road, both directions, between Huebner Road and UTSA Boulevard (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close in both directions while crews lay pipe. Expect delays.
Sunday-Friday, 9-14 March
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Main lanes, both directions, between Loop 1604 and Fredericksburg Road (northwest San Antonio)
The left lanes will close in both directions while crews demolish the center median barrier. Expect delays.
Tuesday-Friday, 11-14 March
10 p.m. until 4 a.m. nightly
Eastbound main lanes between Ramsgate and I-410 (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close while crews mark the pavement. Expect delays.
Interstate 35
Sunday-Friday, March 2-28
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. continuous
Southbound exit ramp to Olympia Pkwy and Forum Pkwy (Selma)
The southbound exit to Olympia and Forum parkways (exit 173) will close three weeks while crews install barriers and finish the construction of the ramp. Traffic will use exit 174 to FM 1518 and Evans Road to reach its destination. This is a reminder of an ongoing closure.
Monday-Friday, March 10-14
8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily
Southbound frontage road between Evans Road and Forum Parkway (Selma)
Alternating lanes will close while crews pave the roadway. Expect delays.
Wednesday-Thursday, March 12-13
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m.
Northbound main lanes between Loop 1604 and FM 3009 (Selma)
The two left lanes will close while crews install overhead highway signs.
Thursday-Friday, March 13-14
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m.
Southbound main lanes between Loop 1604 and FM 3009 (Selma)
The two left lanes will close while crews install overhead highway signs.
Saturday, March 15
5 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Northbound frontage road between Crestwind Drive to Windcrest Drive (northeast San Antonio/Windcrest)
The left lane will close while crews replace barrier and demolish bridge overhang. This closure includes the entrance ramp to northbound I-35. Traffic will follow the posted detour signs to reach its destination.
Saturday, March 15
5 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Northbound main lanes between Walzem and the exit to westbound I-410 (northeast San Antonio/Windcrest)
The right lane will close while crews demolish the existing Thousand Oaks bridge. This closure includes the ramp from northbound I-35 to westbound I-410. Traffic will exit Weidner and use turnaround to reach westbound I-410.
Interstate 37
No closures scheduled.
Interstate 410
No closures scheduled.
Loop 1604
Sunday-Sunday, March 9-16
9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily
Main lanes and access road, both directions, between Bandera Rd and Culebra Rd (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close, including shoulders, for survey work.
U.S. Highway 90
No closures scheduled.
U.S. Highway 281
No closures scheduled.
Other roads
Tuesday, March 11
Midnight until 4 a.m. (Monday night into Tuesday morning)
FM 306 at Goodwin Lane (New Braunfels)
The road will close completely while crews pour concrete to form the UPRR overpass bridge. Traffic will use Common Street and Loop 337 to reach its destination. Expect delays.
Thursday-Friday, March 13-14
7 p.m. until 6 a.m.
FM 306 near Hunter Road (New Braunfels/Gruene)
The road will close completely while crews set beams to form the UPRR overpass bridge. Traffic will use FM 1102 and Hoffman Lane to reach its destination.
All planned lane closures are pending weather.
Monday, March 3
Overpasses on their way for Loop 1604
Despite the ridiculously cold temperatures this morning - San Antonio temps were lower than that of oft-frozen Rexburg, Idaho - a number of county officials joined folks from TxDOT, the city of San Antonio and from Williams Brothers Construction to mark the start of the expressway expansion of Loop 1604 on the northwest side of San Antonio.
Williams Brothers will design and build the new, free, expressway lanes between Bandera and Culebra roads. This includes overpasses at Braun Road, New Guilbeau and Shaenfield Road. The work will take about two and a half years to complete and costs an estimated $82 million.
What's interesting is the funding involved - it's a fantastic blend of state, county and city funds, including money from the local Advanced Transportation District. The state funds come from a pot of $1.9 billion identified by the Texas Transportation Commission mid-2012 that came from a meltingpot of Texas Mobility Fund bond proceeds, anticipated federal funding and savings on projects that were underway at the time.
Here's the breakdown:
State funds (Categories 12 and 14) - $54,800,000
Local funds (ATD) - $27,200,000
Representative Jose Menendez, of the Texas House of Representatives, talked about the importance of cooperation between state and local officials - and the fact this project is a success story of such cooperation. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff was a large part of that cooperation, and ultimately oversaw development of the proposal that was accepted mid-2012 by the Texas Transportation Commission.
Over the next several weeks, Williams Brothers crews will begin setting up the work zone. Heavy excavation and construction activities will begin mid-March, with the first focus being the construction of access roads - that is, converting Leslie Road to a frontage road.
Between now and the end of 2016 (when the work finishes), drivers in the area can expect typical delays associated with construction work. Major lane closures will be limited to nighttime closures where possible, and all closures will be posted a week in advance.
An option to add the Highway 151 intersection to the current project will kick in when the federal environmental studies finish up later this year. That intersection, if added to the contract, will finish fall 2017.
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| State and local officials join in turning dirt, officially kicking off the Loop 1604 expansion project. |
What's interesting is the funding involved - it's a fantastic blend of state, county and city funds, including money from the local Advanced Transportation District. The state funds come from a pot of $1.9 billion identified by the Texas Transportation Commission mid-2012 that came from a meltingpot of Texas Mobility Fund bond proceeds, anticipated federal funding and savings on projects that were underway at the time.
Here's the breakdown:
State funds (Categories 12 and 14) - $54,800,000
Local funds (ATD) - $27,200,000
Representative Jose Menendez, of the Texas House of Representatives, talked about the importance of cooperation between state and local officials - and the fact this project is a success story of such cooperation. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff was a large part of that cooperation, and ultimately oversaw development of the proposal that was accepted mid-2012 by the Texas Transportation Commission.
 |
| Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, at podium, addresses the cooperation between state and local officials that was critical to getting this work on the slate. Looking on are, from left, TxDOT District Engineer Mario Jorge, Bexar County Commissioner Paul Elizondo, Texas Rep. Jose Menendez, San Antonio City Councilman and MPO Chairman Ray Lopez, TxDOT Chief Planning and Project Officer Russell Zapalac. |
Between now and the end of 2016 (when the work finishes), drivers in the area can expect typical delays associated with construction work. Major lane closures will be limited to nighttime closures where possible, and all closures will be posted a week in advance.
An option to add the Highway 151 intersection to the current project will kick in when the federal environmental studies finish up later this year. That intersection, if added to the contract, will finish fall 2017.
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