Next week's construction-related closures

I-10 – Downtown San Antonio

• Sunday, July 26. 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Main lanes, both directions, between Mulberry Avenue and Poplar Street. The two left lanes will close while crews work on bridge rail.
• Monday-Friday, July 27-31. 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Eastbound frontage road between Fredericksburg and Woodlawn roads. The left lane will close while crews do bridge work.
• Monday-Friday, July 27-31. 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Eastbound frontage road between Cincinnati and Culebra roads. The left lane will close while crews do bridge work.

I-10 – Northwest San Antonio

• Sunday-Friday, July 26-31. 8:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Frontage road, both directions between Loop 1604 and Huebner Road. Alternating lanes will close for road work.
• Sunday-Friday, July 26-31. 8:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Huebner Road and Loop 1604. Alternating lanes will close while crews pave the roadway and work on overhead highway signs.
• Monday-Friday, July 27-31. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Frontage road, both directions, between Loop 1604 and Huebner Road. Alternating lanes will close for road work.

I-35 – Windcrest area

• Sunday-Friday, July 26-31. 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Northbound connector to westbound I-410. The right lane will close while crews do overhead bridge work.
• Monday-Friday, July 27-31. 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Northbound connector to westbound I-410. The right lane will close while crews work on guardrail.
• Monday-Friday, July 27-31. 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Southbound frontage road at Fratt Road. The left lane will close while crews work on curb and sidewalks.

I-35 – East San Antonio

• Sunday-Friday, July 26-31. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Walzem and George Beach. Alternating lanes will close, two at a time, to do road work.
• Sunday-Friday, July 26-31. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Frontage road, both directions, between Walzem and George Beach. Alternating lanes will close while crews repair the road.
• Monday-Friday, July 27-31. 9 a.m. until 3:30 a.m. daily. Frontage road, both directions, between Walzem and George Beach. Alternating lanes will close while crews repair the road.
• Monday-Friday, July 27-31. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Turnarounds, both directions, at Salado Creek. The turnarounds will close while crews work on bridge support structures.

I-410 – Windcrest area

• Sunday-Friday, July 26-31. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound connector to southbound I-35. The right lane will close while crews do road work.
• Sunday-Friday, July 26-31. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound connector to northbound I-35. The right lane will close while crews do road work.

I-410 – East San Antonio

• Sunday-Friday, July 26-31. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound connector to northbound I-35. All lanes will close while crew move barrier. Traffic will exit Space Center Drive, move through the Rittiman Road intersection and enter northbound I-35.
• Monday-Friday, July 27-31. 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Northbound frontage road between Greatfare and Rittiman. The left lane will close to provide a safe truck access point.

I-410 – Southeast San Antonio

• Sunday-Tuesday, July 26-28. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between I-37 and Southcross. Alternating lanes will close while crews resurface the road. This closure will include ramp closures as needed. Traffic will use the next available ramp.

I-410 – Southwest San Antonio

• Monday-Friday, July 27-31. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Southbound frontage road between Freeport and Quintana roads. The left lane will close while crews do excavation work.

U.S. Hwy 281 – North-central San Antonio

• Saturday, July 25-Wednesday, August 5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between Bitters Road and Nakoma Drive. The left lane will close while crews work on the concrete median barrier.
• Saturday, July 25-Wednesday, August 5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Bitters Road and Nakoma Drive. All lanes will close while crews work on the concrete median barrier. Traffic will exit Bitters Road, follow the access road, and re-enter before reaching Bitters Road.

State Hwy 151

• Monday-Saturday, July 27-July 1. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Westbound main lanes between Callaghan and Wiseman roads. The left lane will close while crews install cable median barrier.

Loop 1604 – Northwest San Antonio

• Monday, July 27-Sunday, August 9. 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Southbound frontage road between Braun Road and Tausch Drive. The right lane will close while crews work on curb and sidewalk.
• Monday-Friday, July 27-31. 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Southbound frontage road at Shaenfield. The right lane will close while crews do driveway work.

Other roads – Comal County

• Monday-Friday, July 27-31. 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily, weekdays only. FM 306, both directions, between I-35 and Hunter Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews do finish work on the road.

Other roads – Windcrest area

• Sunday-Friday, July 26-31. 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Randolph Boulevard at I-35. Randolph Boulevard will be limited to one-way traffic control, controlled by police officers, while crews do bridge work overhead.

Other roads – East San Antonio

• Sunday-Friday, July 26-31. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound Eisenhauer Road at I-35. All lanes will close while crews move barrier and do bridge work. Traffic will use the I-35 frontage road to the next intersection and turn around to reach its destination.
• Sunday-Friday, July 26-31. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound Eisenhauer Road at I-35. The left lane will close while crews move barrier and do bridge work.
• Sunday-Friday, July 26-31. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound Rittiman Road at I-35. All lanes will close while crews move barrier and do bridge work. Traffic will use the I-35 frontage road to the next intersection and turn around to reach its destination.
• Sunday-Friday, July 26-31. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound Rittiman Road at I-35. The left lane will close while crews move barrier and do bridge work.

Other roads – South Bexar County

• Monday-Saturday, June 27-July 1. 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. Northbound state Hwy 16 between the Atascosa County line and Smith Road. The left lane will close while crews work on cable median barrier.

Other roads – Medical Center

• Sunday-Sunday, July 26-August 2. 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Medical Drive, both directions, between Ewing Halsell and Fairhaven Street. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
• Sunday-Sunday, July 26-August 2. 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Fredericksburg Road, both directions, between Louis Pasteur and Data Point. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.

Other roads – Northwest San Antonio

• Wednesday, June 29-Saturday, August 29. 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Braun Road at Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto Loop 1604 and use the next available turnaround, then return to the intersection to reach its destination.

Other roads – North-Central San Antonio

• Saturday-Saturday, July 25-August 1. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Wurzbach Parkway, both directions, at West Avenue. The left lane will close while crews repair retaining walls. This closure includes the east-to-west turnaround at West Avenue. 

All closures are pending weather.

Leon Springs work

With two projects moving simultaneously, there are more than a few moving parts between Dominion Drive and Ralph Fair Road along I-10. Here's a look at a few items of note:

Frontage road between Boerne Stage and Aue roads

Last week a portable changeable message sign advertising the temporary conversion of the frontage road between Boerne Stage Road and Aue Road to one-way was posted. The message stated the conversion would happen Monday - and that didn't happen.

The conversion will allow crews to reconstruct the bridge over Leon Springs, which will be built in halves. When that work is finished, the road will revert - permanently - to two-way. This is expected to begin (as of the current schedule) in August. The changed schedule is the result of pending utility relocations - a water line needs moved before work on the bridge can begin. Once we have a better grasp on the actual schedule, we'll post a notice right here.

Eastbound entrance ramp from Ralph Fair Road

We've gotten a multitude of calls and emails asking about the "new" eastbound entrance ramp from Ralph Fair Road. Some of these emails beg for some explanation so we're all on the same page. Honestly, this communication break-down is on our end for not showing exactly what's happening.

First, and foremost, the ramp you're using now is a temporary ramp. It's only going to be in operation a short while. The intent here is to allow crews with Texas Sterling Construction to reconstruct the permanent ramp (in the old location) so it is fit to the new one-way configuration of the eastbound frontage road.

So, this change isn't permanent.

The barrier that's out there is required to maintain project area safety. That said, engineers are re-evaluating the placement of the barrier in the field. If adjustments can be made, they will be. Because of the speed of the roadway we cannot use shorter barrier (that low-profile barrier is only rated for roads with top speeds of 45 miles per hour).

Bottom line: we're taking a long, hard look at this. But what we've got out there is temporary as it stands, and we're pushing the contractor to finish the permanent ramp quickly to get folks back onto the ramp they're intended to be on.


Ralph Fair Road bridge

The bridge is nearly finished. In fact, we're waiting for just a few touch-ups to wrap the project up and should have everyone in final configuration by the end of the month. Mostly, we're waiting for striping to get all the lanes painted to their final configuration.

For those wondering what the lane arrangement will be, here's the final layout:

This cross section shows the lane layout of the new Ralph Fair Road bridge, seen from the vantage point of the Walgreen's at the intersection of I-10 and Ralph Fair Road.

Here's the rub, though: we won't be able to put the bridge into its final final configuration until Texas Sterling finishes the work on the eastbound frontage road between Ralph Fair Road and Boerne Stage Road. Right now we've only got one lane on that frontage road, so we can't very well have two left turn lanes! On a temporary basis the southbound center lane of Ralph Fair Road, which will eventually be an optional left/straight lane, will be a thru lane only.

Wurzbach Parkway - the latest

It's a day later than promised, but hopefully this answers the questions you've had about Wurzbach Parkway. And, rather than read, sit back and enjoy this brief video:

Some insider information on this project:

The contractor, Williams Brothers Construction, is also working on the expansion project on Loop 1604 between Bandera and Culeabra roads (including the new connector at Loop 1604 and Hwy 151). Recently they were awarded the contract for a Prop 1 funded project that will add direct connectors between Hwy 151 and I-410.

The new project is set to start early fall, and Williams Brothers likely will need all of their assets (crews, equipment, etc.) not on Loop 1604 moved to the new project. When they are ready to begin the 151-410 job, look for them to really move to finish Wurzbach Parkway.

By contract, Williams Brothers has until the end of the year to finish Wurzbach. The good news is we'll likely be opening this new roadway more than a few weeks early.

Mail Bag: Loop 1604 bike access, Loop 1604 developments, Leon Springs area, Wurzbach Parkway

Is anybody designing protected bike lanes for the access roads (on Loop 1604)? This is a major bike riding area and it doesn't seem like anyone is planning for it to improve safety for riders.
- Miguel

By state policy, we do include plans for bicycle access on all highway projects. This can be done several ways, of course, and is being followed on Loop 1604 between Bandera and Culebra roads. Some solutions to the biking question we have, and what you'll see on Loop 1604:

First, there's the dedicated bike lane, or meandering bike path. We're using this on Wurzbach Parkway (sort of) as we run a meandering multi-use path along the Parkway to connect Hardberger Park and McAllister Park. We're also using a dedicated meandering path along UTSA Boulevard. Either option typically requires the use of additional right-of-way and limits this option to areas where we've got the area already available and we know we're not going to need that space for future expansion.

Next, there's the extra-wide shoulder. This means we include a shoulder that's at least three feet wide, and this is an option typically used in rural areas. Roads built before the adoption of the policy can be seen with really SMALL shoulders - sometimes only a few inches. With the larger shoulders in the rural area, bikers will have a much easier time sharing the road with car drivers.

In an area like this and on our frontage roads in town, we use what's called a "shared-use" lane - a lane built extra wide to accommodate use of both cars and bikes. This is the option you'll see on this stretch, as it's the preferred option in our area for use on frontage roads.

I know it isn't the state but they must be coordinating with you. Can you tell us when Shaenfield Road South to Terra Oak is scheduled to open? I live right there but still have to zigzag two ways now on 1604 and then through the neighborhood 3.7 miles just to get to a point that is literally three blocks away from 1604. I am not angry just very anxious! Thanks, and great job so far!
- Trey

We are wondering the same thing! For those who aren't familiar, Trey is talking about an extension of Shaenfield Road inside Loop 1604 that connects with a city street near Burke Elementary School. Those who drive the area know the superstreet on Lp 1604 was fitted for this road when it was built, and you've likely seen activity to construct the extension near our project along Loop 1604. We are waiting for the contractor on that one to let us know they're ready to open it up.

As it stands, we are all tied in on our end of the road to accept the new side street. This little extension, headed onto northbound Loop 1604, will have a stop sign controlling traffic (not a stop sign on Loop 1604, but on Shaenfield). Until the side street warrants a signal, it will effectively be treated like the side streets coming out of the Wildhorse and Bridgewood subdivisions on the southbound side of Lp 1604. Once we have traffic volumes warranting a traffic signal, that signal will be put in.


The traffic on FM 1560 between Culebra and Braun has grown due to the construction on 1604. Traffic would flow faster if a right turn lane from 1560 onto Braun could be added or if the shoulder could be widened.
- Grace

Interesting suggestion, Grace. It's good to hear there are folks who are using and seeking alternate routes to get around and about in the area!

The process of planning, doing environmental studies for, right-of-way acquisition for and funding a turn lane on northbound FM 1560 at Braun Road is such that we'd not even begin construction until sometime next year. Construction itself would require a solid three months and involve some pretty invasive closures to complete.

The bottom line: we wouldn't have that turn lane ready in time to see any real advantage for traffic seeking to get around the Lp 1604 work between Culebra and Bandera Roads. On the plus side, there is sufficient room for folks to have a sort of turn lane if through traffic doesn't ride on the shoulder.

What we can do in the area is monitor traffic signal timing with the folks in our traffic operations division and make sure things are timed appropriately to maximize traffic flow.

So what's the deal with the frontage road between Boerne Stage Road and Ralph Fair Road? There was a message board announcing a major change for this week, but now it's been changed.
- Lots of folks

Alright, so we've not actually gotten any calls or emails on this ... yet. A week ago we had a message board on the frontage road between Boerne Stage Road and Aue Road in the Leon Springs area announcing a major change that would last for a few months.

The change is the temporary conversion of that frontage road to one-way while crews reconstruct the bridge over Leon Creek. The frontage road will be west-bound only for about five months when the time to do this work comes. The posted start date was this morning (July 20), but conflicts with utilities and a difficult schedule involving one of the project's subcontractors (a lingering effect of rains several weeks ago...).

This work, and corresponding traffic shift, is now scheduled to begin mid-August. When we have an accurate date determined, we will post the announcement right here.

When will Wurzbach Parkway be finished? It's been a while since a dedicated blog post has been posted.
- Lots more folks

Seems we've not done a dedicated post for Wurzbach Parkway in quite a while. The closest comes from a blog post back in June included with a bunch of brief updates on projects across Bexar County. It's clear by the volume of calls - about a dozen in the last week - we need to post another update with stronger details. So that's exactly what we'll do this week for folks. If Wurzbach Parkway is your pet project, stay tuned this week!

But the short version: The Parkway will finish early fall, even though the contractor has until the end of the year to complete the work.

Next week's construction-related closures

I-10 – Downtown San Antonio

• Tuesday-Wednesday, July 21-22. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Eastbound main lanes between Mulberry Avenue and Poplar Street. The two left lanes will close while crews work on bridge rail.
• Monday-Friday, July 20-24. 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Eastbound frontage road between Fredericksburg and Woodlawn roads. The left lane will close while crews do bridge repair work.

I-10 – Northwest San Antonio

• Sunday-Friday, July 19-24. 8:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Frontage road, both directions between Loop 1604 and Huebner Road. Alternating lanes will close for road work.
• Sunday-Friday, July 19-24. 8:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Huebner Road and Loop 1604. Alternating lanes will close while crews pave the roadway and work on overhead highway signs.
• Monday-Friday, July 20-24. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Frontage road, both directions, between Loop 1604 and Huebner Road. Alternating lanes will close for road work.

I-35 – East San Antonio

• Sunday-Friday, July 19-24. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Walzem and George Beach. Alternating lanes will close, two at a time, to do road work.
• Sunday-Friday, July 19-24. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Frontage road, both directions, between Walzem and George Beach. Alternating lanes will close while crews repair the road.
• Monday-Friday, July 20-24. 9 a.m. until 3:30 a.m. daily. Frontage road, both directions, between Walzem and George Beach. Alternating lanes will close while crews repair the road.
• Monday-Friday, July 20-24. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Turnarounds, both directions, at Salado Creek. The turnarounds will close while crews work on bridge support structures.
• Monday-Friday, July 20-24. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Turnarounds, both directions, at Salado Creek. The turnarounds will close while crews work on bridge support structures.
• Monday-Friday, July 20-24. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between AT&T Parkway and Binz-Engleman. Alternating lanes will close while crews do bridge work.
• Monday-Friday, July 20-24. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Frontage road, both directions, between AT&T Parkway and Salado Creek. Alternating lanes will close while crews work on bridge support structures and set barrier.

I-35 – Windcrest area

• Sunday-Friday, July 19-24. 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Northbound connector to westbound I-410. The right lane will close while crews do overhead bridge work.
• Monday-Friday, July 20-24. 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Northbound connector to westbound I-410. The right lane will close while crews work on guardrail.
• Monday-Friday, July 20-24. 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Southbound frontage road at Fratt Road. The left lane will close while crews work on curb and sidewalks.

I-410 – East San Antonio

• Sunday-Friday, July 19-24. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound connector to northbound I-35. All lanes will close while crew move barrier. Traffic will exit Space Center Drive, move through the Rittiman Road intersection and enter northbound I-35.
• Monday-Friday, July 19-24. 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Northbound frontage road between Greatfare and Rittiman. The left lane will close to provide a safe truck access point.

I-410 – Windcrest area

• Sunday-Friday, July 19-24. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound connector to southbound I-35. The right lane will close while crews do road work.
• Sunday-Friday, July 19-24. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound connector to northbound I-35. The right lane will close while crews do road work.

I-410 – Southeast San Antonio

• Sunday-Friday, July 19-24. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between I-37 and Southcross. Alternating lanes will close while crews resurface the road. This closure will include ramp closures as needed. Traffic will use the next available ramp.
• Monday-Friday, July 20-24. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Southbound frontage road between Freeport and Quintana roads. The left lane will close while crews do excavation work.

I-410 – South San Antonio

• Sunday-Monday, July 19-20. 9:30 p.m. until 5 a.m. Eastbound main lanes at Texas Hwy 16 (Palo Alto Road). The right lane will close while crews do bridge work.

U.S. Hwy 281 – North-central San Antonio

• Saturday-Wednesday, July 18-22. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between Bitters Road and Nakoma Drive. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will exit Nakoma Drive, travel through the Nakoma Drive intersection and re-enter the highway.

State Hwy 151

• Monday-Friday, July 20-24. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Main lanes, both directions, between Wiseman and Callaghan roads. The left lane will close while crews install cable median barrier.

Loop 1604 – Northwest San Antonio

• Monday-Friday, July 20-24. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Frontage roads between Bandera and Culebra roads. Alternating lanes will close as needed for survey work. These closures will be infrequent.

Other roads – Comal County

• Monday-Friday, July 20-24. 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily. FM 306, both directions, between I-35 and Hunter Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews do finish work on the road.

Other roads – Medical Center

• Sunday-Sunday, July 19-26. 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Medical Drive, both directions, between Ewing Halsell and Fairhaven Street. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
• Sunday-Sunday, July 19-26. 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Fredericksburg Road, both directions, between Louis Pasteur and Data Point. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.

Other roads – Downtown

• Tuesday-Wednesday, July 21-22. 9:30 p.m. until 5 a.m. Eastbound Loop 345 (Fredericksburg Road) at I-10. The right lane will close while crews work on bridge railing.

Other roads – East San Antonio

• Sunday-Friday, July 19-24. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound Eisenhauer Road at I-35. All lanes will close while crews move barrier and do bridge work. Traffic will use the I-35 frontage road to the next intersection and turn around to reach its destination.
• Sunday-Friday, July 19-24. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound Eisenhauer Road at I-35. The left lane will close while crews move barrier and do bridge work.
• Sunday-Friday, July 19-24. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound Rittiman Road at I-35. All lanes will close while crews move barrier and do bridge work. Traffic will use the I-35 frontage road to the next intersection and turn around to reach its destination.
• Sunday-Friday, July 19-24. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound Rittiman Road at I-35. The left lane will close while crews move barrier and do bridge work.

Other roads – South San Antonio

• Sunday-Monday, July 19-20. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Northbound Texas Hwy 16 (Palo Alto Road) at I-410. The two right lanes will close while crews do bridge work.

Other roads – Windcrest area

• Sunday-Friday, July 19-24. 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Randolph Boulevard at I-35. Randolph Boulevard will be limited to one-way traffic control, controlled by police officers, while crews do bridge work overhead.

Other roads – North-Central San Antonio

• Friday-Friday, July 17-24. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Westbound Wurzbach Parkway at West Avenue. The left lane will close while crews repair retaining walls. This closure includes the east-to-west turnaround at West Avenue.

Other roads – Northwest San Antonio

• Tuesday-Thursday, July 21-23. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Braun Road at Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the Loop 1604 frontage roads and use turnarounds to return to Braun and reach its destination.

Other roads – Leon Springs/Fair Oaks Ranch

• Friday-Tuesday, July 17-21. 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Ralph Fair Road, both directions, at I-10. Alternating lanes will close while crews place final layers of asphalt.

All closures are pending weather.

Unified Tranpsortation Program public inputs

The Texas Department of Transportation will host an online public meeting via WebEx this afternoon at 4:00 p.m. and solicit comments on the development of the 2016 Unified Transportation Program (UTP).

The UTP is a comprehensive 10-year plan for the development and construction of transportation projects throughout Texas. The plan includes roadways, aviation, public transportation, waterways, coastal waters and rail projects. The plan includes specific funding levels for each fiscal year.

You can participate in this meeting via WebEx, or you can stop by the San Antonio District Office at 4615 Northwest I-410 in San Antonio to participate.

To join the meeting online, or to view a recorded copy of the public meeting after it's been held, visit the UTP Public Involvement web page. If the meeting time is not convenient, or you would like to arrange for an alternate time to receive information on the 2016 UTP, give us a call at 210.615.5802. You may also leave comments regarding the 2016 UTP at this number.

Written comments may be submitted on the TxDOT website by searching the keyword "UTP". You can also email your comments to TPP_UTP@txdot.gov or use "snail mail" to reach us. Our mailing address is:
TxDOT TPP Division UTP
118 East Riverside Drive
Austin, Texas, 78704

Public comments will be received until 4:00 p.m. August 17.

Persons with disabilities who plan to attend this meeting and who may need auxiliary aides or services are requested to contact us prior to the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

The draft (not final copy) 2016 UTP will be available for viewing online the remainder of this week.

I-10 projects ... a whole slew of work

I-10 through the San Antonio area is currently the most worked-on roadway in the San Antonio area. From Boerne to Seguin, we currently have six major active projects with another handful of smaller jobs to do landscape or some element of repairs.

We have another half-dozen projects waiting in the wings, with two set to start in the next year.

Here's a brief look - a snapshot (or, more appropriately, snapshots) of what we've got going on.

I-10 frontage road (Boerne)

Zimmerman Construction has been at it for about three months now (maybe four), and they've still got another four months to go. The $4.3 million project adds a westbound frontage road between U.S. Hwy 87 and Texas Hwy 46 while moving the exit ramp to Hwy 46.

Zimmerman is hard at work to build a new westbound frontage road approaching Hwy 46.

I-10 at Scenic Loop Road (Boerne)

A recent public meeting showed what we plan to do at this intersection. The end goal is to improve the I-10 overpass bridges at Scenic Loop Road, and to greatly - drastically- improve the intersection under those overpass bridges. That work is set to begin late 2015 or early 2016. We have not yet put bids on that project; we're hoping to do so by early fall this year.

When finished, this intersection will allow for a much smoother flow of traffic to accommodate growth on the south part of Boerne.

I-10 at Fair Oaks Parkway (Fair Oaks Ranch)

Another project that's on the drawing board and set to come along in the near future, this replacement and expansion of an overpass bridge is on our schedule to be let for bids late 2016. The goal of the job is to expand the Fair Oaks overpass bridge to at least five lanes (it's currently got two) and further facilitate an ongoing effort to convert frontage roads along I-10 to one-way. Once work begins, likely early 2017, the project would wrap up in about a year and a half.

The Fair Oaks Pkwy bridge will be replaced with a much - MUCH - wider bridge to meet the growth that's come in the area.

I-10 between Ralph Fair and Fair Oaks

Using funds generated by voter-approved Proposition 1, TxDOT will add a new overpass on I-10 at Old Fredericksburg Road while converting frontage roads between Ralph Fair and Fair Oaks to one-way. This project lets for bids next month, and work should begin by the end of the year. Once work begins, the project duration is anticipated to be about three years.

I-10 managed lanes

The Alamo Regional Mobility Authority is working with TxDOT planners for this project, which is likely to begin construction by the end of 2016. At this point, things are still in the review and planning process.

Ralph Fair Road bridge

Paving at the intersection of Ralph Fair and I-10 has been slow going, but that's all we really have left to do. Overnight work is being used to make this happen to minimize the impact on traffic. Once that final surface of asphalt is on the ground, we'll have things opened up in full.

The intersection of Ralph Fair Road and I-10 was set to be paved this week; that work has been pushed due to conflicts with adjacent projects. Overall completion should come before the end of the month.

I-10 between Boerne Stage Road and Dominion Drive

Well underway after only four months of real work, Texas Sterling Construction is still running at or ahead of schedule. Due to some conflicts with work done by neighboring projects, some of the planned work this week - particularly along the westbound frontage road west of Boerne Stage Road - has been rescheduled. That work will temporarily convert the frontage road between Boerne Stage and Aue roads to one-way (westbound) while crews replace the bridge over Leon Creek.

While most of the work between Boerne Stage Road and Dominion Drive is focused near Boerne Stage Road, a new turnaround and the frontage road conversion will impact traffic right at Dominion Drive.

I-10 Huebner

At this point, the work is confined to the final surface of asphalt and punch list. Overnight closures are being used for that paving work, and the punch list tasks are being done wherever and whenever possible.

Webber Construction has instructed Angel Brothers Construction, the subcontractor responsible for paving the project, to remove paving equipment from the new east-to-west turnaround at UTSA Boulevard so the turnaround can be opened up immediately; Angel Brothers has been using the turnaround as a staging area for several months, and no additional work is necessary to have the turnaround open.

Overall completion on this project is on pace to happen before school starts.

I-10 East San Antonio

The final layer of asphalt is on the ground, and all that's left at this point is final striping. That's been done, for the most part, and the project is at a point where we're just about finished up. The good news is you shouldn't see any more major closures out here.

Fresh asphalt plus fresh paint equals pretty much finished project!

I-10 at Probandt

This isn't an active construction project, but a maintenance job. The westbound entrance ramp from Probandt has been shut down since May and will continue to be closed until this fall. The reason is a drifting slope; that is, the slope that's holding up guardrail and part of the road surface has started to erode aggressively, creating a safety issue. Until the slope is repaired and stabilized, the ramp will remain closed.

The ramp isn't closed to allow for construction; it's closed for safety reasons. It will be reopened when work to repair a slope is finished.

I-10 frontage roads (Seguin)

Over the last couple of years the need for frontage roads along I-10 through Seguin has become increasingly pressing. That included last year's completion of a new westbound frontage road between Hwy 46 and FM 464, and includes a $33.4 million project to construct frontage roads between Hwy 46 and Business 123.

When LANE Construction is finished with their work, a frontage road will run down the middle of this land.

Loop 1604 - the new configuration

The number one question folks have asked this week as traffic has shifted from the main lanes onto the new frontage roads of Loop 1604 between Bandera and Culebra roads is how long this configuration will last.

The answer: about a year. With traffic on the frontage roads, Williams Brothers Construction will be able to move quickly on the proposed overpasses at Shaenfield and New Guilbeau roads, finishing the work in about a year (opposed to a traffic set-up that's only marginally different, requiring a construction duration of more than two years).

As different and perceptionally difficult as the new configuration seems, the truth is - measured by engineering measurements tracking traffic flow and traffic signal queueing times - traffic flows are actually better than they were a week ago or more. As drivers get used to this new configuration, we expect even better traffic flows.

Turnarounds serving traffic wanting to turn "left" onto Shaenfield and New Guilbeau make Lp 1604 a true "Michigan Left" with no actual left turns allowed along the route.

The new configuration features a true Michigan Left, where traffic must turn right in order to turn "left", and no left turns are permitted. Traffic traveling northbound from Hwy 151, for instance, must travel beyond Shaenfield and use a turnaround in order to make that "left" turn onto Shaenfield. Similarly, southbound traffic from Bandera Road must continue beyond New Guilbeau and use a turnaround to make that "left" turn onto New Guilbeau. Along the stretch, we've got a right-in, right-out only set-up.

Detour signs trailblaze the way for traffic on southbound Lp 1604 to New Guilbeau.

The biggest thing drivers need to remember: The posted speed limit is 45 miles per hour.

Note the speed limit along this stretch of Loop 1604 - and note that police departments do charge a "fee" for a reminder of this speed limit. Take this as your free reminder and slow down!

 So ... what's next?

Crews working on the Braun Road overpass (which has been built out-of-sequence to accelerate the project somewhat) are scheduled to move to New Guilbeau and Shaenfield roads in the next week or two. Drill shafts, providing the foundational support for bridge support columns, will be built first as dirt crews begin building retaining walls to contain dirt to support the bridge approaches on each side of these intersections.

Similar drill shafts and columns have been built for the new overpass of Hwy 151 at Lp 1604 already, and crews are working hard at that location. No major closures are expected for this work until bridge crews are ready to hang bridge support beams and do overhead bridge work - that work is still far enough away that we don't even have a tentative schedule available to publish.

In the meantime, project supervisors are committing to making routine checks on the traffic flow to look for opportunities for improvement along the project. While we want to get this project finished as fast as possible, we also want to ensure folks driving through the area are able to do so with minimal inconveniences.

Mail Bag: Highway signs, spare material on projects, closure announcements and more

I remember reading years ago on the Texas Highway Man Web site that one of the things the eponymous Highway Man wished he saw more of in the San Antonio district was more interchange sequence signs. I can think of maybe 3 or 4 I know of in the city, but admittedly, I don't see nearly as many here as I did when living in Houston (or visiting Dallas or Austin), and I'm curious: what is the reason the San Antonio area freeways have seemingly few of these signs?
- Donald

First of all, thanks for referencing the Texas Highway Man. If you're looking for a reliable third party to let you know the ins and outs of what we do, that's the place to go. While the site is in no way affiliated with the Texas Department of Transportation, the information there is typically right on target.

For those who don't know what Donald is talking about with sequence signs, here's a look:

A sequence sign on US 75 - "Central Expressway" - north of downtown Dallas.

Basically, sequence signs are those you'll typically see in an urban area showing you a list of upcoming exits, with the mileage before each exit.

Per our own Texas Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the rule of thumb is to use what's called advance guide signing - where we use a single sign, or two side-by-side signs, to warn drivers of an upcoming exit - unless the exits are very closely spaced. Our practice in San Antonio is to use the advance guide signs rather than sequence signs because most of our exits are spaced at least three-quarters of a mile apart.

It's our position in San Antonio that advance guide signs convey much simpler information versus the more complex info sets found on sequence signs.

What were the results of the variable speed limit pilot program on north Loop 1604?
- Mark

To find an answer to this question, we reached out to our traffic operations division up in Austin. The study results are in hand and are being prepared for publication right now - but they're not ready yet. Once those results are ready, they should be sent out via news release and readily available on our Web site. You'll also likely see a post on the topic right here, when the time comes.

What will become of the uprooted oak trees resulting from the expansion of Spur 53? That's an awful lot of firewood.
- Gary

This is a question that will give a glimpse into how the business of road-building works, and provide a solid answer to boot! Love questions like this....

As with any project, the contractor retains ownership of material (i.e. dirt, trees, etc.) removed from any contract. Whatever they do with that material is really their choice. This actually acts as an incentive for some contractors who aggressively bid projects, saving us a tremendous amount of money on the cost of construction. When a contractor aggressively bids on a project and under-bids competitors (often leaving potentially available money on the table), they are able to make a profit and earn the money to stay in business by appropriately finding a profitable way to dispose of the materials taken off the construction site.

That means that, if there's something you're interested in getting from the construction site (again, any site) you should coordinate that through the contractor. Just be aware that many contractors are dependent on that material to turn some sort of a profit. That may sound ridiculous with the dollar amounts we talk about (this project on UTSA Boulevard is a $9 million project, for instance), but the contractors are typically operating on a razor-thin profit margin for each project.

Now that a turn lane from eastbound Boerne Stage Road onto the eastbound I-10 access road is open, can something be done to make drivers stop or even just yield like they should? Accidents WILL happen there - the drivers are just not yielding.- Tim

First, it's good to hear there's some progress in the area that's helping. We know that project (Boerne Stage Road) isn't a TxDOT project (it's a Bexar County job), but it's right there next to ours. The county has done a fair job on the project, and it's near time to complete their work out there.

As for our project, the one thing that might help - an acceleration lane for that traffic to turn right onto - isn't in the cards. The best we can do is educate drivers on what the traffic configuration means to daily drivers. From there, the best option is to get law enforcement agencies to enforce things like yield signs or stop signs. Without that enforcement, folks simply don't seem to want to follow the rules. Our advice: take this one up with the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

There is a sign at the intersection of Wurzbach Pkwy and West Ave that has PA on it. What does PA stand for? When I lived in the north PA stood for Pennsylvania. You have us northern transplants confused. Please let me know!
- Jean

There's a really quick way to answer this one ... and since it's asked often, it's worth adding here: PA is TxDOT-ese for "Parkway". For Wurzbach Parkway, the state highway designation is "Parkway 1502".

In Texas, we use a number of state highway designations. We have the Interstate highways (NOT Interstate Highways - note the difference in capitalization!) like I-10, I-35, I-37, I-410 (Also note ... NOT "IH Whatever" ... Just a simple "I-" before the number!). We have U.S. Highways (like 281, 90, 87). We have Texas Highways (like 46 and 16). We have State Loops (like Loop 1604). We have State Spurs (like Spur 53, Spur 536 and Spur 371). We have Farm-to-Market (FM) roads, and we have Ranch-to-Market (RM) roads.

By the way ... the difference between the FM and RM designation is all geography. Generally speaking, west of U.S. 281 in our state, the roads are RM roads. East of U.S. 281, the roads are FM roads.

Each of these roads is owned, developed and maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation. If a road doesn't have one of these state highway designations, it's probably not maintained by us in any way.

Please check your dates. July and June appear to be randomly mixed on the July 2 (lane closures) post.
- Anonymous

Thanks for bringing this to our attention! Many of the lane closures each week are repetitive, so we do a lot of cut-copy-paste and then edit. There are some things that slip through the cracks, and on July 2 a lot of stuff slipped through. The issue was corrected for the July 10 post.

How come there was no notice of the closure of lanes on 1604 between Shaenfield and New Gulibeau?
- Zane

Well, Zane, the closures along that area were announced right here on the blog the week prior to these closures. There was some additional work, mostly at night and primarily around the turnarounds north of Shaenfield. Those closures were announced to us a little too late to get posted on the blog.

While these late closures are annoying (for all of us), they were very minimal. When they happen we get after the contractor and subcontractors responsible and they do better for us. That's what we'll do in this instance.

Closures in south Kerrville start this week

Alternating lanes of Texas Highway 16, also known as South Sidney Baker on the south end of Kerrville, will close beginning Wednesday while crews with Zimmerman Construction and the Texas Department of Transportation place final layers of asphalt and complete a $2.7 million project to add shoulders and turn lanes between state Highway 173and River Hill Boulevard.

Crews with Zimmerman Construction are scheduled to be on site 7 a.m. Wednesday to begin the work. Closures will occur daily until the work is complete. Project managers anticipate, weather permitting, this paving work to wrap up by the end of the month.

Work on the project began spring of 2014 and was initially expected to last just seven months. A work-zone crash involving a suspected drunk driver last fall slowed work, then adverse weather and a lack of available materials strung out the project.

While crews are paving drivers can expect delays with traffic reduced to a single lane in each direction. The posted speed limit through the area is 45 miles per hour.

Next week's construction-related closures

I-10 – Downtown San Antonio

• Monday-Friday, July 13-17. 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Eastbound frontage road between Cincinnati and Culebra roads. The left lane will close while crews do bridge repair work.

I-10 – Northwest San Antonio

• Monday-Friday, July 13-17. 8:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Frontage road, both directions between Loop 1604 and Huebner Road. Alternating lanes will close for road work.
• Monday-Friday, July 13-17. 8:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Huebner Road and Loop 1604. Alternating lanes will close while crews repave the roadway and work on overhead highway signs.
• Monday-Friday, July 13-17. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Frontage road, both directions, between Loop 1604 and Huebner Road. Alternating lanes will close for road work.

I-10 – Leon Springs/Fair Oaks Ranch

• Wednesday-Thursday, July 15-16. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Eastbound frontage road between Ralph Fair Road and Boerne Stage Road. The left lane will close while crews open a new, temporary, eastbound entrance ramp.
• Thursday-Friday, July 16-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Westbound frontage road between Boerne Stage Road and Ralph Fair Road. The left lane will close while crews shift traffic.

I-35 – East San Antonio

• Sunday-Friday, July 12-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Walzem and George Beach. Alternating lanes will close, two at a time, to do road work.
• Sunday-Friday, July 12-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Frontage road, both directions, between Walzem and George Beach. Alternating lanes will close while crews repair the road.
• Monday-Friday, July 13-17. 9 a.m. until 3:30 a.m. daily. Frontage road, both directions, between Walzem and George Beach. Alternating lanes will close while crews repair the road.
• Monday-Friday, July 13-17. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Turnarounds, both directions, at Salado Creek. The turnarounds will close while crews work on bridge support structures.
• Monday-Friday, July 13-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Turnarounds, both directions, at Salado Creek. The turnarounds will close while crews work on bridge support structures.
• Monday-Friday, July 13-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between AT&T Parkway and Binz-Engleman. Alternating lanes will close while crews do bridge work.
• Monday-Friday, July 13-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Frontage road, both directions, between AT&T Parkway and Salado Creek. Alternating lanes will close while crews work on bridge support structures and set barrier.

I-35 – Windcrest area

• Sunday-Friday, July 12-17. 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Northbound connector to westbound I-410. The right lane will close while crews do overhead bridge work.
• Monday-Friday, July 13-17. 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Northbound connector to westbound I-410. The right lane will close while crews work on guardrail.
• Monday-Friday, July 13-17. 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Southbound frontage road at Fratt Road. The left lane will close while crews work on curb and sidewalks.

I-35 – Comal County

• Sunday-Monday, July 12-13. 8 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Watson Lane and Conrads-Kohlenberg. The two right lanes will close while crews move concrete barrier. This closure includes the exit and entrance ramps associated with Conrads-Kohlenberg. Traffic will use the next available ramp to reach its destination.

I-410 – East San Antonio

• Sunday-Tuesday, July 12-14. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Houston Street and I-10. The right lane will close while crews repair asphalt. This work requires the entrance ramp from Houston Street and the exit ramp to I-10. Traffic will use the next available ramp.
• Sunday-Friday, July 12-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound connector to northbound I-35. All lanes will close while crew move barrier. Traffic will exit Space Center Drive, move through the Rittiman Road intersection and enter northbound I-35.
• Monday-Friday, July 13-17. 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Northbound frontage road between Greatfare and Rittiman. The left lane will close to provide a safe truck access point.
• Tuesday-Wednesday, July 14-15. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between I-10 and Houston Street. The right lane will close while crews repair asphalt. This work requires closures of the entrance ramp from I-10 and the exit ramp to Houston Street. Traffic will use the next available ramp.

I-410 – Windcrest area

• Sunday-Friday, July 12-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound connector to southbound I-35. The right lane will close while crews do road work.
• Sunday-Friday, July 12-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound connector to northbound I-35. The right lane will close while crews do road work.

I-410 – Southeast San Antonio

• Wednesday-Friday, July 15-17. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between Rigsby Avenue and I-37. The right lane will close while crews repair asphalt. This work requires closures of the entrance ramp from Rigsby Avenue and the connector ramp from southbound I-410 to I-37. Traffic will use the next available ramp.

U.S. Hwy 90 – Medina County

• Thursday, July 16. 9 a.m. until noon. Westbound main lanes between the Bexar-Medina County Line and Medina Valley Football Stadium Drive. The right lane will close while crews evaluate pavement conditions.
• Thursday, July 16. 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Westbound main lanes between Hondo Creek and Taylor Lane. The right lane will close while crews evaluate pavement conditions.

U.S. Hwy 281 – North-central San Antonio

• Monday-Tuesday, July 13-14. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Bitters Road and Nakoma Drive. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will exit Nakoma Drive-Wurzbach Parkway, pass through the Nakoma Drive intersection and re-enter the highway.
• Tuesday-Wednesday, July 14-15. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound frontage road between Bitters Road and Nakoma Drive. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will enter the southbound main lanes from Bitters Road and use the next available exit and turn around to reach its destination.
• Wednesday-Friday, July 15-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Nakoma Drive and Bitters Road. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will exit Nakoma Drive, pass through the Nakoma Drive intersection and re-enter the highway.
• Friday-Saturday, July 17-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Northbound frontage road between Nakoma Drive and Bitters Road. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will use Nakoma Drive, Jones-Maltsberger and Bitters Road to reach its destination.

State Hwy 151

• Monday-Friday, July 13-18. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Main lanes, both directions, between Wiseman and Callaghan roads. The left lane will close while crews install cable median barrier.

Loop 1604 – North San Antonio

• Sunday-Monday, July 12-13. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Westbound main lanes at Northwest Military Highway. The right lane will close while crews repair concrete barrier. This work will also require closing the westbound entrance ramp from Bitters Road-Rogers Ranch. Traffic will continue through the intersection and use the next available entrance ramp.

Loop 1604 – Northwest San Antonio

• Saturday-Sunday, July 11-12. 7 p.m. until 9 a.m. Main lanes, both directions, between Braun and Culebra roads. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe the roadway and shift all traffic onto the new frontage roads. Drivers should be aware of the change in posted speed limit to 40 miles per hour.
• Monday-Friday, July 13-19. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Frontage roads between Bandera and Culebra roads. Alternating lanes will close as needed for survey work. These closures will be infrequent.
• Wednesday, July 15. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Southbound main lanes between Hausman and Bandera roads. The right lane will close while crews evaluate pavement conditions.

Other roads – Comal County

• Monday-Friday, July 13-24. 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily, weekdays only. FM 306, both directions, between I-35 and Hunter Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews do finish work on the road.

Other roads – Medical Center

• Monday, July 13. 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Westbound Medical Drive at Fredericksburg Road. The right turn lane will close while crews resurface the roadway.

Other roads – East San Antonio

• Sunday-Friday, July 12-17. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound Eisenhauer Road at I-35. All lanes will close while crews move barrier and do bridge work. Traffic will use the I-35 frontage road to the next intersection and turn around to reach its destination.
• Sunday-Friday, July 12-17. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound Eisenhauer Road at I-35. The left lane will close while crews move barrier and do bridge work.
• Sunday-Friday, July 12-17. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound Rittiman Road at I-35. All lanes will close while crews move barrier and do bridge work. Traffic will use the I-35 frontage road to the next intersection and turn around to reach its destination.
• Sunday-Friday, July 12-17. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound Rittiman Road at I-35. The left lane will close while crews move barrier and do bridge work.

Other roads – Windcrest area

• Sunday-Friday, July 12-17. 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Randolph Boulevard at I-35. Randolph Boulevard will be limited to one-way traffic control, controlled by police officers, while crews do bridge work overhead.

Other roads – Northwest San Antonio

• Sunday-Friday, July 12-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Braun Road, both directions, at Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews hang bridge deck panels. Eastbound traffic will travel south on Loop 1604 and turn around after Shaenfield Road to reach northbound Loop 1604. Westbound traffic will travel north on Loop 1604 and turn around at Bandera Road to reach southbound Loop 1604.

Other roads – North-Central San Antonio

• Friday-Friday, July 10-17. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Westbound Wurzbach Parkway between West Avenue and Blanco Road. The left lane will close while crews repair retaining walls. This closure includes the east-to-west turnaround at West Avenue.

Other roads – Leon Springs/Fair Oaks Ranch

• Sunday-Tuesday, July 12-14. 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Ralph Fair Road, both directions, at I-10. Alternating lanes will close while crews place final layers of asphalt.
• Tuesday-Wednesday, July 14-15. 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. Boerne Stage Road, both directions, at I-10. All lanes will close while crews shift traffic lanes. Traffic will use frontage roads and turn around at intersections of Ralph Fair Road and Dominion Drive, as appropriate, to reach its destination.

All closures are pending weather.

Projects wrapping up - Hill Country area

This month has been really light on posts - we know. We've got a TON of information to get out, and the logjam of info has led to a dearth of posts. So, we're just going to start taking a bite at a time to get this info out to you.

Today, we're starting with a brief rundown of projects about to wrap up in the Hill Country area. For the purposes of this post, this includes Comal, Kendall and Kerr counties. We'll actually go in that order ... so, here's a look at Comal County area projects:

FM 306

Beginning Monday, July 13, Hunter Industries will begin laying a final course of asphalt on the road between I-35 and a little west of Hunter Road. This work will require daily alternating lane closures to allow for paving crews to do their work, but folks should have at least one lane each way to push through the area.

After about a week or so of paving, paint crews will lay pavement markings and you'll have a final product. Concrete work is finished already and crews have already set sod in place. All that's left, really, is the pavement and paint. That, and a final tweak of the traffic signals (which will be done while painters do their thing).

All told this project should be completed and done by the end of the month.

I-35 resurfacing

For those unfamiliar with this, what we're talking about here is the stretch of I-35 between FM 3009 and Solms Road. This is a $9.9 million project that's been going on since spring of 2014. We've had some delays due to materials, equipment failures or weather - pushing us back from what should have been a four-month project duration. Despite the delays, we're happy with the product and the drive between Schertz and New Braunfels is pretty darned smooth!

Now, on to Kendall County:

Ralph Fair Road

Yes, this isn't actually in Kendall County ... but it sort of feels like it is so we're including it on this list. And yes, we're almost done with the work at Ralph Fair Road and I-10. That work could be finished - meaning no more overnight closures, no more daytime closures, no more anything - as early as the first half of next week.

Huge credit for working a quick, clean project to Sundt Construction. The $7.5 million project widened the Ralph Fair Road bridge to five lanes (it used to be just two), and converted some of the frontage roads between Boerne Stage Road and Ralph Fair Road to one-way.

Hwy 46 at Esser

This project was literally days - days - from being finished when we discovered a pavement failure issue with the sub-base that's now being addressed. The $2 million project reconstructed a portion of the roadway and improved the intersection - particularly for westbound traffic on Hwy 46 - right there at the intersection of Hwy 46 and Esser Road. One of the major reasons for the work is to fit the intersection to the Kendall County project to expand the Herff Road bridge; well, mission accomplished there. And with the new right-turn lane in place for westbound traffic that would be headed to Boerne High School, school traffic this fall should see a better drive than they've seen in a while.

And, finally, a look at Kerr County:

Hwy 39 Ingram

This project seemed to be the project that simply would not end! The $8.6 million project began 2013 with the intent of adding a center left-turn lane, bike lanes and sidewalks to Hwy 39 between Hwy 27 and the Ingram Dam out in, well, Ingram.

The project got off to a rough start, but over the last year work moved as fast as the weather allowed. Final asphalt surface will be laid as soon as some curb and sidewalk - under way right now - is finished, and and final striping will come immediately thereafter. That work is currently slated for the last week of July, which means completion should come by the first week of August.

Hunt Crossing

This is another project on Hwy 39, this time a bridge over the south fork of the Guadalupe River in the area of Hunt, Texas. If you've not been, by the way, you should - a gem of the Hill Country, Hunt is!

The $2.5 million project replaced the old bridge with a wider, upgraded version. The wider bridge still only carries one lane in each direction, but it now includes space for shoulders and improved rails. The water flow volume is improved as well. This one shouldn't see water run over top very often, and improve the drive through the area.

Hwy 16 Kerrville

This project - a $2.7 million effort to widen and improve Hwy 16 between Hwy 173 and River Hills Blvd on the south side of Kerrville - was marred by a crash in September that landed five workers, including two TxDOT inspectors, in the hospital. The crash was caused by a suspected drunk driver who sped through an active work zone, passing officers who tried to slow or stop the driver prior to the work zone. The driver was chased by police to his home, where he was arrested.

Despite that drama, crews with Zimmerman Construction have been able to eke out a decent project. Yes, the work has taken longer than estimated. However, notice was given this week paving crews will work all week next week to lay that final surface of asphalt.

The final product should be delivered by the end of the week, if all goes well. That product includes beefed up shoulders and a turn lane.