Williams Brothers Construction is ready to have the Shaenfield Road intersection opened up for traffic in a matter of a few weeks, propelling further the already fast-paced construction of the Loop 1604 expansion on the northwest side of San Antonio.
Last week the intersection of New Guilbeau Road and Loop 1604 was opened for full use - including left turns onto and off of the side road. The first three days were plagued by traffic signal timing issues common to new intersections, but electricians have paired with staff with the city of San Antonio to resolve those issues. San Antonoio city staff has oversight for signal timing on all signals - including signals on TxDOT roads - in the area.
Project officials expect to have fewer issues with signal timing with the Shaenfield intersection, but still caution drivers to be aware delays may exist for those first few days. The change at Shaenfield is currently scheduled January 30-31, the weekend before SuperBowl 50.
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| Construction on the Shaenfield Road intersection is heavily underway; with overhead work finishing up this weekend, dirt work at the ground level will ramp up over the next week. |
With the intersection at Shaenfield open and operational, Williams Brothers will close all the temporary turnarounds, both north and south of Shaenfield, in use since traffic was moved onto the new frontage roads last summer. Closing the turnarounds will allow road crews to continue work on the main lanes - and on the future exit and entrance ramps - to prepare for project completion.
Project bosses have a current target of early summer to have the overpasses ready for use.
Meanwhile bridge crews continue to construct support structures for the new direct connector from southbound Loop 1604 onto eastbound Highway 151. The overpass taking Hwy 151 over Loop 1604, landing the highway into Alamo Ranch Parkway, is also taking shape.
Bridge crews have tentatively targeted January 30 and 31 to set bridge support beams for the new direct connector over the main lanes of Loop 1604. This will mean daytime closures of Loop 1604, one direction at a time. Traffic detours will be announced as we approach the time for that closure.
The new intersection of Highway 151 and Loop 1604 is on pace to be finished by the end of the year.