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Wednesday, November 19
Traffic switch on Ralph Fair Road at I-10
Tuesday, November 18
Wurzbach Parkway progress
Friday, November 14
Next week's construction-related closures
- Saturday-Sunday, November 15-16. 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. continuous. Eastbound main lanes between Pine Street and Roland Avenue. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe the road and move traffic. This closure includes the entrance ramp from Pine Street, which will remain closed up to six months. Traffic will use the next available ramp.
- Sunday-Friday, November 16-21. 8:30 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 build concrete barrier and work on overhead highway signs.
- Sunday-Friday, November 16-21. 8:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Frontage road, both directions, between Loop 1604 and Huebner Road (Northwest San Antonio). Alternating lanes will close while crews move barrier.
- Monday-Friday, November 17-21. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Frontage road, both directions, between Loop 1604 and Huebner Road (Northwest San Antonio). Alternating lanes will close while crews move barrier.
- Monday-Friday, November 17-21. 8:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Eastbound frontage road between University Heights and DeZavala Road (Northwest San Antonio). All lanes will close while crews do road work. Traffic will turn right onto University Drive, left onto Silicon Drive, then left onto DeZavala Road to reach its destination.
- Tuesday-Thursday, November 18-20. 7:30 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Eastbound main lanes between Pine Street and Roland Avenue (east San Antonio). Alternating lanes will close while crews switch travel lanes.
- Wednesday-Thursday, November 19-20. 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. Westbound main lanes between Roland Avenue and Walters Street (east San Antonio). The left lane will close while crews work on the digital message board.
- Saturday, November 22. 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Eastbound main lanes between Pine Street and Roland Avenue (east San Antonio). Alternating lanes will close while crews shift travel lanes.
- Sunday, November 16. 3 a.m. until 2 p.m. Southbound main lanes between Eisenhauer and George Beach (Northeast San Antonio). The two right lanes will close while crews shift traffic.
- Sunday-Friday, November 16-21. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Walzem and Randolph Boulevard (Northeast San Antonio). Two right lanes will close while crews move barrier.
- Sunday-Friday, November 16-21. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Rittiman and Eisenhauer roads (Northeast San Antonio). Alternating lanes will close while crews place barrier.
- Sunday-Tuesday, November 16-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between FM 3009 and Solms Road (Schertz-New Braunfels). All lanes will close while crews repair the pavement base and repave the road. Traffic will exit FM 3009 and re-enter the highway after Solms Road.
- Monday-Friday, November 17-21. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between Solms Road and FM 3009 (Schertz-New Braunfels). Alternating lanes will close while crews mark the pavement.
- Sunday-Friday, November 16-21. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound exit to southbound I-35 (Northeast San Antonio). The right lane will close while crews move barrier.
- Saturday, November 15. 4 a.m. until 3 p.m. Southbound frontage road between Bitters Road and Nakoma Drive (north-central San Antonio). All lanes will close while crews pour the bridge deck for the Wurzbach Parkway overpass bridge. Traffic will enter the main lanes and exit again at Nakoma. Traffic missing the ramp may use Interpark to reach its destination.
- Tuesday-Saturday, November 18-22. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound frontage road between Nakoma Drive and Bitters Road (north-central San Antonio). The two right lanes will close while crews install drain inlets.
- Monday, November 17. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Northbound main lanes at Culebra Road (northwest San Antonio). The right lane will close while crews work on the guardrail.
- Monday-Saturday, November 17-22. 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Fredericksburg Road between Louis Pasteur and Data Point. Alternating lanes will close as needed for road work.
- Monday-Saturday, November 17-22. 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Medical Drive between Ewing Halsell and Fairhaven Street. Alternating lanes will close as needed for road work.
Thursday, November 13
A little tweak on I-10 near Ralph Fair Road
As of Monday, November 17, that small segment will be permanently converted to one-way traffic. Traffic that used Autumn Stage Road to reach the Stage Run subdivision will need to use Boerne Stage Road and Baywater Stage Road.
The good news: This should significantly help traffic at I-10 and Boerne Stage Road, allowing us to time the traffic signals to allow a stronger flow of traffic in various directions. The difference won't be huge, but it should be enough to improve the commutes of those driving through the area just a little.
Meanwhile, crews with Sundt Construction are planning to switch traffic on Ralph Fair Road onto the new bridge surface the weekend of November 21-23. That switch won't make a huge dent in traffic flow over the weekend, but should cause a bit of slowing.
With traffic off the old bridge, Sundt will be ready to demolish the structure to make way for the new bridge taking its place. That demolition is tentatively scheduled for the weekend of December 5-8. That work will require the full closure of I-10 at Ralph Fair Road, similar to the closures we've used before.
Remember: right now the December 5-8 schedule is tentative.
Wurzbach Parkway progress
We'll blame it on our focus on Fred-Med and on I-10. And I-35. And ... well, an absolute lack of excuses.
Meanwhile, Williams Brothers has continued to develop the overpass bridges over U.S. Highway 281 and the roadway between West Avenue and Highway 281 and between Highway 281 and Jones-Maltsberger. Meanwhile, crews are working on the new entrance and exit ramps along the northbound side of U.S. 281. Once the bridge deck for the overpass is finished, expect to see work on the southbound side as well.
The segment between West Avenue and Jones-Maltsberger is still on track for completion mid-2015.
The segment between Jones-Maltsberger and Wetmore has run into some snags. We previously had looked at mid-October for a targeted completion date. However, we discovered some issues with the road surface near the overpass bridge at Starcrest.
The process to fix it has to begin with determining who is financially responsible for the fix. We have forensic engineers taking a look at things to determine if the issue is caused by the design or if it's caused by the way it was constructed. That will determine who is on the hook for the bill to fix the issue.
Once we figure out who's paying for what, we'll be able to get moving to repair the issue. Until then, the contractor will use their resources on other projects.
We still have the concrete barrier near the city brush dump site to finish, but that will not be done until we're ready to put traffic on the entire stretch of the Parkway from Jones-Maltsberger to Wetmore. That can't happen until the issue at Starcrest is resolved.
So ... when will we be finished with this segment and have the parkway opened for use between Jones-Maltsberger and Wetmore?
Right now we're hoping to have it ready for use by the first of 2015.
Monday, November 10
Fredericksburg Road bridge in place
That 28-hour window makes the Fredericksburg Road bridge deck the fastest to be installed in the state of Texas. Ever. How is that possible?
A typical bridge deck takes several weeks to install - the support structures must be cast and built, then (after the concrete has reached sufficient strength) bridge support beams are set, and then the deck itself is cast and poured. Factor in excavation and other dirt work, and the chore can easily take weeks or months to finish, meaning traffic disruptions for an extended period of time.
Here the bridge was built off to the side without interrupting traffic. Over the weekend - a single weekend! - crews were able to dig out the area the bridge would cover and slide the bridge deck into place. The good news is things went off without a hitch. The first push was the stickiest (moving millions of pounds of concrete is always tough), with friction finally giving way for a jolt start of about 12-15 inches Saturday night. Then the bridge moved along at about 4-6 inches per minute until it was in place by 1:30 this morning.
The process involves pushing two 2-million-pound bridges into place with hydraulic jacks, with the bridge sliding along Teflon-lined plates lubricated with Dawn dish soap. This week crews will be tying the deck into the existing roadway on Fredericksburg Road, then marking the roadway and setting barrier.
The process of the bridge slide and installation has required the closure of Fredericksburg Road at Medical Drive. Texas Sterling says they should have the roadway reopened by the end of this week, if all goes well.
That would mean not only setting a bridge deck in place this fast, but having the roadway reopened in a single week - all the fastest marks in our state's history. The speed is made possible by a new-to-Texas process, brought to the state by Texas Sterling Construction.
Using more traditional means, this bridge placement and installation would take somewhere between 30 and 60 days.
Friday, November 7
Next week's construction-related closures
- Sunday-Friday, November 9-14. 8:30 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 build concrete barrier and work on overhead highway signs.
- Sunday-Friday, November 9-14. 8:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Frontage road, both directions, between Loop 1604 and Huebner Road (Northwest San Antonio). Alternating lanes will close while crews move barrier.
- Monday-Friday, November 10-14. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Frontage road, both directions, between Loop 1604 and Huebner Road (Northwest San Antonio). Alternating lanes will close while crews move barrier.
- Monday-Friday, November 10-14. 8:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Eastbound frontage road between University Heights and DeZavala Road (Northwest San Antonio). All lanes will close while crews do road work. Traffic will turn right onto University Drive, left onto Silicon Drive, then left onto DeZavala Road to reach its destination
- Sunday-Friday, November 9-14. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Walzem and Randolph Boulevard (Northeast San Antonio). Two right lanes will close while crews move barrier.
- Sunday-Friday, November 9-14. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Rittiman and Eisenhauer roads (Northeast San Antonio). Alternating lanes will close while crews place barrier.
- Sunday-Friday, November 9-14. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between FM 1103 and Solms Road (Schertz-New Braunfels). All lanes will close while crews repair the pavement base and repave the road. Traffic will exit FM 1103 and re-enter the highway after Solms Road.
- Sunday-Friday, November 9-14. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between Solms Road and FM 3009 (Schertz-New Braunfels). Alternating lanes will close while crews mark the pavement.
- Sunday, November 16. 3 a.m. until 2 p.m. Southbound main lanes between Eisenhauer and George Beach (Northeast San Antonio). The two right lanes will close while crews shift traffic.
- Sunday-Friday, November 9-14. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound exit to southbound I-35 (Northeast San Antonio). The right lane will close while crews move barrier.
- Friday-Friday, November 7-21. 12:01 a.m. until 5 a.m. continuous. Fredericksburg Road at Medical Drive (South Texas Medical Center). All lanes will close while crews replace the road surface with a bridge deck. Traffic on Fredericksburg Road will be restricted to right-turns only. This closure could conclude as early as November 14.
- Monday, November 10. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Bowens Crossing at Loop 1604 (northwest San Antonio). The inbound lane, coming from Loop 1604, will close while crews lay drain pipe. Traffic will use New Guilbeau Road and April Bend to reach its destination.
- Tuesday, November 11. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Bowens Crossing at Loop 1604 (northwest San Antonio). The outbound lane, going toward Loop 1604, will close while crews lay drain pipe. Traffic will use April Bend and New Guilbeau Road to reach its destination.
- Thursday-Friday, November 13-14. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Randolph Boulevard, both directions, between Crestway and I-35 (Northeast San Antonio). Lanes will close, one at a time, while crews place barrier. Traffic will be controlled by police officers on site.
How it's going on Fred-Med
Police officers are deployed at strategic intersections to keep traffic flowing through the area, and will remain in use while the road is closed. That, combined with what seems like an abundance of drivers successfully seeking alternate routes, seems to have delays down to a minimum at the Medical Center.
Dirt crews are busily digging away the dirt under what was the road surface of Fredericksburg Road. Excavation should finish up by tomorrow (Saturday) morning, allowing bridge crews to begin pushing the bridge decks into place.
The lateral slide process will take most of the weekend, and should be finished by Monday morning.
Texas Sterling Construction is on pace to have the intersection reopened by the end of next week - nearly half the allotted time to do the necessary work.
Wednesday, November 5
Fredericksburg Road to close up to two weeks
Rain washes out closures
Bowens Crossing at Loop 1604:
Bowens Crossing will be closed in halves beginning Monday, Nov. 10. This will happen during the daytime only, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. with one side - the half carrying traffic off Lp 1604 - closed Monday and the other side - the half carrying traffic onto Lp 1604 - closed Tuesday.
Fredericksburg Road at Medical Drive:
Fredericksburg Road will close Thursday night at midnight (technically, 12:01 a.m. Friday). Traffic on Medical Drive may continue straight through the intersection or turn right. Fredericksburg Road traffic will be limited to right turns onto Medical Drive. No left turns will be permitted at the intersection.
This closure may last up to two weeks, but Texas Sterling Construction is implementing a new-to-Texas technique to have the road re-opened much sooner.
Tuesday, November 4
U.S. 281 closure pushed back
Temporary closures this week for Loop 1604 expansion
This week's construction-related closures
Interstate 10
9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily
Frontage roads, both directions, between Huebner Road and Loop 1604 (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close for road work. Expect delays.
8:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Frontage roads, both directions, between Huebner Road and Loop 1604 (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close for road work. Expect delays.
8:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Main lanes, both directions, between Huebner Road and Loop 1604 (northwest San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close for road work. Expect delays.
Tuesday-Wednesday, November 11-12
Westbound I-10 between Roland Avenue and Walters Street (east San Antonio)
The left lane will close while crews work on the digital message sign. Expect delays.
Interstate 35
9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly
Northbound main lanes between George Beach and Rittiman Road (northeast San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close for road work. Expect delays.
9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly
Northbound main lanes between Walzem Road and Randolph Boulevard (northeast San Antonio)
The two right lanes will close while crews move barrier. This includes the ramp to westbound I-410. Traffic will take the next available exit and turn around to reach westbound I-410. Expect delays.
9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly
Southbound main lanes between Randolph Boulevard and Walzem Road (northeast San Antonio)
The two right lanes will close while crews remove barrier. Expect delays.
9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly
Southbound main lanes between Fairdale and George Beach (northeast San Antonio)
Alternating lanes will close to provide safe access to the work area for trucks. Expect delays.
Sunday-Wednesday, November 2-7
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Southbound main lanes between Wiederstein Road and Schertz Parkway (Schertz-New Braunfels)
The right lane will close while crews resurface the road way. This includes the exit to Schertz Parkway. Traffic will use the next available exit. Expect long delays.
Sunday-Wednesday, November 2-7
9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly
Northbound main lanes between FM 3009 and Solms Road (Schertz-New Braunfels)
All lanes will close while crews resurface the roadway. Traffic will exit FM 3009 and continue along the frontage road until they reach Solms Road. Expect long delays.
Interstate 37
No closures scheduled.
Interstate 410
9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly
Frontage road, both directions, between I-35 and Randolph Boulevard (Windcrest)
All but a single lane will close while crews place barrier. This is the frontage road connector running under the intersection of I-35 and I-410 near Windcrest, and is a single two-way road. One-way traffic control will be used to guide traffic. Expect delays.
9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly
Northbound main lanes between Binz-Engleman and Rittiman Road (northwest San Antonio)
All lanes will close while crews move barrier. Traffic will exit Space Center Drive and follow the frontage road through Rittiman Road, then enter the main lanes of northbound I-35. Expect delays.
9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly
Eastbound main lanes at Fratt Road (northeast San Antonio)
The right lane will close while crews move barrier. This includes the ramp to southbound I-35. Traffic will take the next available ramp, along northbound I-35, and turn around. Expect delays.
Loop 1604
Northbound main lanes at Bowens Crossing (northwest San Antonio)
The right turn lane will close while crews build drain structures. This closure will force traffic to Bowens Crossing to turn right onto New Guilbeau, then right onto April Bend. Expect delays.
Northbound main lanes at Bowens Crossing (Northwest San Antonio)
The right acceleration lane will close while crews build drain structures. This closure will force traffic from Bowens Crossing to turn right onto April Bend, then left onto New Guilbeau Road, then right onto Loop 1604. Expect delays.
U.S. Highway 90
No closures scheduled.
U.S. Highway 281
Thursday-Friday, November 6-7
Northbound main lanes and frontage road between Nakoma Drive and Bitters Road (north-central San Antonio)
All lanes will close while crews do bridge work. Traffic will exit Nakoma Drive, turn right at Nakoma, left onto Jones-Maltsberger, left onto Bitters and return to the U.S. 281 frontage road. Expect long delays.
Thursday-Friday, November 6-7
Southbound main lanes between Bitters and Nakoma (north-central San Antonio)
All lanes will close while crews do bridge work. Traffic will exit Bitters Road and re-enter after Nakoma Drive. Expect delays.
Other roads
8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly
Medical Drive between Ewing Halsell and Fairhaven Street (Medical Center)
Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work. Expect delays.
Wednesday-Thursday, November 5-6
Fredericksburg Road between Louis Pasteur and Data Point (Medical Center)
Alternating lanes will close while crews prepare for the full closure of Fredericksburg Road. Expect delays.
Thursday-Thursday, November 6-20
12:01 a.m. until 5 a.m. continuous
Medical Drive between Ewing Halsell and Horizon Hill Boulevard (Medical Center)
Alternating lanes will close while crews reconstruct Fredericksburg Road at Medical Drive. No left turns will be permitted at Fredericksburg Road. Expect delays.
Thursday-Thursday, November 6-20
12:01 a.m. until 5 a.m. continuous
Fredericksburg Road at Medical Drive (Medical Center)
All lanes will close at Medical Drive while crews replace the road with a bridge. Traffic will turn right onto Medical Drive and follow alternate routes. Drivers should seek alternate routes and expect long delays.
All planned lane closures are pending weather.