Hunter Industries and the Texas Department of Transportation will begin a $6.2 million project to widen FM 1101 between state Hwy 46 and Creekside Crossing. The project adds a center left-turn lane, sidewalks and widened shoulders. The goal is to improve safety and traffic flow for those headed to the schools along the route. Overall project completion is scheduled for the end of the 2017-2018 school year
Crews will schedule work to avoid significant conflicts with school traffic, particularly during the morning rush. Four schools are located along this project: Freiheit Elementary, Canyon Middle, Canyon High and Brilliant Starts Learning Academy. The corridor also has a growing industrial footprint. For the first few months Hunter Industries will work to widen the road to the north side of the roadway. This will allow traffic to shift over and create more work space when crews shift to working on drain structures to the south side of the road. That shift should occur by March, weather permitting, but should not mean a major change for daily traffic. Project personnel are making every effort to conduct the heaviest work during the summer months when school is out.
A large number of calls, emails and online messages have come regarding the new overpass guiding Hwy 151 over Loop 1604 into Alamo Ranch Parkway. Most have discussed the way the intersection of Alamo Ranch Parkway and Westwood Loop now operates.
Rather than individual calls and emails to respond, we hope folks will pass this message along on the same social media channels they've posted email addresses and phone numbers of government employees and others. That's right: we're hoping you post this to your NextDoor pages and community Facebook pages.
First of all, the tragic fatal crash occurring at the intersection of Alamo Ranch Parkway and Westwood Loop is still under investigation by Bexar County Sheriff's Office. Only those working with BCSO know the details regarding what happened. One real fact is clear: the crash did not involve the new overpass, nor did it involve changes to the intersection. That intersection has featured an all-way stop condition for at least three years* with stop signs in all directions. If all follow the rules, that intersection is absolutely safe.
Those stop signs are being replaced with traffic signals to improve traffic flow. Bexar County Public Works has already started that work and have indicated to us the signal should be operational by the end of January (weather permitting). As the independent Texas Highwayman noted, a private developer contributed some delays prohibiting the signal from being ready when the overpass was opened, and leaving the finished overpass closed would have caused just as much of an uproar.
We are also working with Bexar County folks to improve the lane alignment situation of Alamo Ranch Parkway at the Westwood Loop intersection - including discussing some of the ideas that have been submitted by the folks who've reached out. We're committed to improving traffic flow and, as Texas Highwayman said, sometimes what works well on paper doesn't always translate to reality.
The big takeaway: we are working on solutions, and once we have something ready to set in stone we will publish it here.
*An earlier version of this post made the claim this all-way stop was in place for five years or more. As resident Jason showed us, initially ARP traffic was allowed to flow and only cross traffic was stopped.
A wave of soldiers stationed in San Antonio is expected to head home for Christmas between today and Friday. They're not the only ones, though. With kids out of school until January 2 and the rest of us taking short weeks (or long weekends...) for the holiday a ton of folks are traveling to see friends or family.
Some of that travel may be up north, where this frozen fluffy white stuff called snow falls from the sky and blankets the ground. The cooler temps transform water to plated sheets of ice. This beauty requires some extra care when driving - care some of us in south-central Texas may not be used to taking.
We've got some tips for you if driving in these winter wonderlands is part of your plans. A lot of it is common sense stuff we talk about in any adverse weather conditions: slow down, increase following distance and look out for crews working to clear the road. The biggest tid-bit is a bit counter-intuitive, though - kind of like when Lightning McQueen was learning to drive on dirt from Doc Hudson. If you start to skid on ice, let off the gas and the brakes and allow your car to regain traction. Rolling through the skid will help your ability to steer out of danger.
The other major tip we've got is about planning ahead. Check our DriveTexas app (it's more of a mobile-optimized web app than something you get at your device's app store) to check for any road closures or adverse conditions on Texas highways. Just make sure it's your navigator doing the navigating while you, the driver, focuses on driving.
For more on winter travel, see our guide. Enjoy your holidays - and stay safe!
Note: Construction closures are restricted between Dec. 15 and Jan. 2. These closures are either pre-existing long-term closures or have been deemed necessary to advance progress on an active project without causing high impact during holiday travel dates.
I-410 - Northwest San Antonio
Current until April 2017. Northbound exit to Culebra Road. The exit will close while crews widen the main lanes and frontage road. Traffic will exit Ingram Road, turn around and get to Culebra on the southbound frontage road.
US Hwy 90 - West San Antonio
Tuesday-Friday, December 20-23. 11 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Eastbound main lanes at Medio Creek. All lanes will close while crews pour concrete. Traffic will take the exit to I-410 and re-enter the highway at the next available ramp. This work will only require a single nights’ work; the additional days are scheduled in the event of weather or an equipment failure.
US Hwy 281 - North San Antonio
Monday, December 19. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Southbound main lanes approaching Loop 1604. The right lane will close while crews repair guard rail. The exit ramp to Loop 1604 will remain open.
Hwy 151 - Northwest San Antonio
Friday, December 16 at 9 p.m.-Monday, December 19 at 5 a.m. Main lanes and frontage road between Wiseman and Loop 1604. Alternating lanes will close while crews resurface the road and build barrier. Crews are working to open the new overpass at Loop 1604.
Loop 1604 - Northwest San Antonio
Friday, December 16 at 9 p.m.-Monday, December 19 at 5 a.m. Southbound frontage road at Alamo Ranch Parkway. Alternating lanes will close while crews work to open the new Hwy 151 overpass at Loop 1604.
Other roads - Seguin
Current until Saturday, December 31. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. King Street, both directions, between Cedar Street and US 90. All lanes will close while crews install storm drains and rebuild the road. Traffic will use Hwy 123 as a detour.
We're nearing that moment everyone involved with any of our projects looks forward to: completion.
Background
Williams Brothers started the expansion of Loop 1604 between Bandera and Culebra roads back in March of 2014, and signed an option to the contract for the interchange of Hwy 151 that December. Work on the interchange started February of 2015. They opened the new Loop 1604 main lanes in May of this year and the new direct connector to eastbound Hwy 151 the end of July.
Every step of the way WB has been ahead of their set targets. The last remaining targets: open the new Hwy 151/Alamo Ranch Parkway overpass and finalize the job. They have until the first quarter of next year to do both.
If the project manager for WB has his way, that new overpass will be open and in use by the start of next week. This means we'll have some alternating lane closures at the intersection this weekend, particularly on Hwy 151 (both directions) between Wiseman and Lp 1604 and right there at the southbound Lp 1604 frontage road at ARP.
Gettin' it done
We won't hold a media event for this opening. Heck, right now we don't have a for-sure opening time or date and we recently told the folks in Alamo Ranch we didn't expect it to happen until after New Year. Inclement weather that week after Thanksgiving really slowed work down, but crews have been working like crazy to recover that time. If you drive the area routinely, you've likely noticed the flurry of work over the last couple of weeks.
At any rate, just like we did with the southbound 1604 connector to eastbound Hwy 151 we just want to have it ready for you and get it open. When it happens, we'll post it to Twitter and probably call it good.
Most of the big stuff is finished (though crews are still laying that last bit of asphalt this week). We have a lot of little things still to happen. When the opening takes place there will be barrier to move and lanes to stripe.
Those using that direct connector can expect a slight change to the way their lane meets up with Hwy 151 when the overpass is opened; drivers do need to be aware of changing scenarios over the next several days.
What it'll look like
This overpass will carry Hwy 151 traffic over Loop 1604 and land it directly into Alamo Ranch Parkway. Those taking this route will notice a bunch of large yellow signs as they approach Loop 1604 that read, "FREEWAY ENDS".
At the top of the overpass we've got a traffic signal. Yes, you read that right. Traffic coming from westbound Hwy 151 wanting to hit southbound Loop 1604 will have a protected left-turn signal atop the overpass and will have a ramp landing them with the southbound frontage road traffic as it prepares to merge onto the main lanes.
Of course, traffic along Alamo Ranch Parkway will have a series of traffic signals to go through. Take a look at our quick Periscope broadcast about the signals:
Backup plans
If for whatever reason Williams Brothers isn't able to get this overpass finished for next week, we will likely see its opening pushed to the start of January. We try to avoid closures as much as we can between December 15 and January 2 because of the holiday traffic volumes. That might prohibit us getting that overpass done by Christmas should work push very far into next week.
Finishing up
Even if the overpass is opened and finished before Christmas, expect to see WB crews working on finish items through February. A few orange barrels and some of the orange signs will be maintained until the contract is finished up (which can often be a few months after work has actually completed). Although work is about to finish, just know those orange signs will remain for a little while - not too long - while the paperwork end of the project is getting finished up.
Illumination on Loop 1604
Because it's related but doesn't warrant a separate post, we want to address a small string of those median light poles that aren't working right there around Braun Road. All the infrastructure is in place - the wiring, the light poles, light bulbs, everything - for those lights to work. CPS Energy has to connect the circuit to turn the lights on. The contractor's work has been done for a while at this point and we're still waiting on CPS. They are aware of the work item request, it just hasn't reached its turn in their work queue.
Putting a rumor to bed
Just because it keeps coming up when we talk with neighborhood associations in the area, we should put something out there on the topic. Right now TxDOT has not been asked, nor are we planning, to develop Hwy 151 along Alamo Ranch Parkway any further.
The idea has been discussed as savvy folks look at the map and realize as ARP continues to develop it could potentially link to the county's extension of Hwy 211, which will connect Potranco and Culebra roads.
The idea isn't totally crazy - particularly when keeping the future growth and development of the area in mind. It's simply not something that's on our radar at TxDOT. ARP isn't a state-maintained roadway and has been developed, to date, by private builders as the Alamo Ranch area has been built.
A few months ago - late August or early September - folks in the Government Hills area started seeing orange signs pop up around the New Braunfels Ave bridge over I-35, marking the start of a long-awaited repair to that bridge.
The bridge suffered damage after it was hit a few years ago by an 18-wheeler. Due to the damage we had to close the right southbound lane of New Braunfels Avenue over I-35 and the pedestrian access on that side of the bridge. The northbound side remained at two lanes and had a sidewalk in place for pedestrian access.
Earlier this year we were able to get the funds approved to make the needed repairs. CRG was awarded the $5 million project to replace - not just repair - the bridge.
The first phase of work is to remove the entirety of the southbound half of the bridge, moving traffic over to one lane each way on what was the northbound side - basically what you see out there today (and on the graphic to the right). While this is in place we'll have just one left-turn lane on each frontage road to avoid any conflicts with folks vying for their spot as they try to cross over I-35. All pedestrian traffic will continue to use the existing sidewalk on the east side of the bridge.
Some folks might look at the lanes we've got closed and wonder why we're not doing anything. It's a darned good question. With traffic moved, CRG really can't do anything on the project until that old southbound segment is removed and demolished. Before we let them demo that portion of the bridge (which will require a full closure of I-35, when it happens) we require they submit a demolition plan that walks us through a step-by-step run of the work. It's pretty basic stuff - most demo plans look the same - but it's a requirement we have that the contractor have that plan submitted and reviewed.
As of last week we still have not received the demo plan for this project. With lane closure restrictions starting this weekend, the earliest this work could be done is mid-January. That would at least show some progress and justify the lane closure now in place.
Though we're not quite ready to demo that section of bridge, we're leaving the closure in place as it is. Why? Two reasons. First, the volume of traffic across the bridge isn't so much we're not restricting traffic flow any more than was already done by the damaged bridge. Second, the cost to restripe the bridge and move barrier would make the whole thing some "wasted money".
In the meantime we're still pushing the contractor for those demo plans and charging time against the contract, which means they're getting squeezed to get going soon or they'll start running into financial issues on the project (liquidated damages).
This configuration will be in place until summer 2017, when we'll basically just flip traffic over onto the new side of the bridge and wreck and complete the northbound side you're driving on today.
All told, the project should finish up around the end of 2017, if all goes well.
With the Christmas holiday break coming up, this will be the last week of closures planned for the year. All our contracts in Bexar County - and many contracts beyond - heavily restrict closures between December 15 and January 2.
I-10 - Seguin
Wednesday, December 14. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Westbound main lanes between Business 123 and Hwy 46. The right lane will close while crews set bridge support beams.
Wednesday, December 14. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Westbound frontage road between Hwy 123 and Business 123. The left lane will close while trucks are staged for crews setting bridge support beams.
I-10 – Boerne
Thursday-Friday, December 15-16. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Eastbound main lanes at Scenic Loop Road. The left lane will close while crews move barrier.
I-10 - Leon Springs
Monday-Tuesday, December 12-13. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Eastbound main lanes between Boerne Stage Road and Dominion Drive. The right lane will close while crews move barrier.
Monday-Tuesday, December 12-13. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Westbound main lanes between Dominion Drive and Boerne Stage Road. The right lane will close while crews repair guardrail.
I-10 – East San Antonio
Friday, December 9-Monday, December 12. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. continuous. Eastbound main lanes between Foster Road and FM 1516. All lanes will close while crews install drain structures. Traffic will exit Foster Road and re-enter at the next available ramp. Officers will control traffic at the Foster Road and FM 1516 intersections. This closure is a rescheduled closure from Dec. 2-5, rescheduled due to weather.
I-35 – New Braunfels
Monday-Tuesday, December 12-13. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes at York Creek. Alternating lanes will close while crews move barrier.
Tuesday-Wednesday, December 13-14. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Main lanes, both directions, at York Creek. Alternating lanes will close while crews move barrier.
Wednesday-Thursday, December 14-15. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes at York Creek. Alternating lanes will close while crews move barrier.
I-35 – Northeast San Antonio
Sunday-Friday, December 11-16. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound exit to westbound I-410. Alternating lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will exit Walzem and continue along the frontage road to reach I-410.
Sunday-Friday, December 11-16. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Rittiman and Walzem roads. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
Sunday-Friday, December 11-16. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Frontage roads, both directions, between Rittiman and Walzem. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
Sunday-Friday, December 11-16. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound connector to southbound I-410. The connector will close while crews move barrier. Traffic will exit George Beach, turn around and reach southbound I-410 from the northbound frontage road of I-35.
Monday-Friday, December 12-16. 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Frontage roads, both directions, between Rittiman and Walzem roads. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
I-35 – East San Antonio
Monday-Friday, December 12-16. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Frontage road, both directions, between Binz-Engleman and AT&T Center Parkway. The left lane will close while crews do finish work.
I-410 – Northeast San Antonio
Sunday-Friday, December 11-16. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound exit ramp to Randolph Blvd. The ramp will close while crews do bridge work. Traffic will follow the posted detour route.
Sunday-Friday, December 11-16. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound connector ramp to southbound I-35. The ramp will close while crews move barrier. This closure includes the entrance from Austin Highway. Traffic will go to Thousand Oaks, turnaround and continue down the southbound I-35 frontage road until the next available entrance ramp.
I-410 – Northwest San Antonio
Current until April 2017. Northbound exit to Culebra Road. The exit will close while crews widen the main lanes and frontage road. Traffic will exit Ingram Road, turn around and get to Culebra on the southbound frontage road.
US Hwy 90 - West San Antonio
Tuesday, December 13. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Westbound main lanes between I-410 and Medio Creek. The right lane will close while crews install guardrail.
US Hwy 281 - North-central San Antonio
Sunday-Friday, December 11-16. 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Josephine and Airport Drive. The right three lanes will close while crews do road work.
Monday-Thursday, December 12-15. 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Northbound main lanes between I-35 and Mulberry. The right lane will close while crews do concrete work.
Monday-Thursday, December 12-15. 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Main lanes, both directions, between I-410 and I-35. The right two lanes will close while crews do concrete work.
Hwy 151 – Northwest San Antonio
Current through Friday, December 16. Westbound exit ramp to Ingram and Potranco roads. The ramp will remain closed while crews install bridge support structures for the direct connector ramps being constructed.
Monday-Thursday, December 12-14. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Westbound frontage road between Wiseman and Loop 1604. Alternating lanes will close while crews resurface the road.
Loop 1604 – Northwest San Antonio
Monday-Friday, December 12-16. Constant closure. Northbound frontage road between Hwy 151 and Culebra Road. The right lane will close while crews do concrete work. Access to businesses will be maintained.
Monday-Friday, December 12-16. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound connector to eastbound Hwy 151. The connector will close while painters paint the bridge. Traffic will go to Wiseman Road, turn around and reach eastbound Hwy 151 via northbound Loop 1604.
Tuesday-Thursday, December 13-15. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between Military Drive and Potranco Road. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
Tuesday-Wednesday, December 13-14. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes at Hwy 151. All lanes will close while crews paint the bridge overhead. Traffic will exit Alamo Ranch Parkway, follow the frontage road and re-enter Loop 1604, then turn around at Wiseman to reach Hwy 151.
Wednesday-Thursday, December 14-15. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Northbound connector ramp to eastbound Hwy 151 main lanes. The ramp will close while crews work on guardrail. Traffic will be able to reach the eastbound frontage road of Hwy 151, then run through the Wiseman intersection before entering the main lanes.
Other roads – Seguin
Current until Saturday, December 31. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. King Street, both directions, between Cedar Street and US 90. All lanes will close while crews install storm drains and rebuild the road. Traffic will use Hwy 123 as a detour.
Other roads - Kendall County
Sunday-Friday, December 11-16. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Hwy 46, both directions, between Dresden Wood and Dierks Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews set barrier. Off-duty police will handle one-way traffic control.
Other roads – Northeast San Antonio
Current until Tuesday, December 13. 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Northbound FM 1103 between FM 78 and Brite Road. Alternating lanes will close as needed while crews repair the pavement.
Sunday-Friday, December 11-16. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Randolph Blvd, both directions, between Crestway and I-35. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will follow the posted detour.
Earlier this year we posted about how we determine placement of traffic signals. At the time we were receiving a few different requests for traffic signals at specific intersections. Those requests continue, and we investigate each request to see if the location warrants a signal.
One location is getting their requested signal fairly soon - construction starts December 12. That location is at the intersection of Potranco Road and Vista Place/Arcadia Path - basically serving traffic at the subdivisions of Bella Vista and Arcadia Ridge. The installation of the signal will wrap up by the end of March.
The signals will be suspended from span wires held up by steel poles. The steel poles and the control cabinet for the signals are being supplied by us; they were salvaged from projects at other locations. The work itself is being paid for - 100 percent - by the developer of the Arcadia Ridge subdivision. The developer of the Bella Vista subdivision - the subdivision that initiated this signal request - has elected to not contribute to this effort.
A little history
In 2015 Texas State Representative Rick Galindo hosted a town hall meeting to discuss the development of Potranco Road, which is currently underway through the Bexar County Public Works Department. During that meeting members of the Bella Vista community presented a petition to have a signal installed at their intersection. As promised by Rep. Galindo, TxDOT engineers surveyed the intersection and placed it on a watch list to be investigated again in the future for a signal if a greater need arose.
The issue was pressed again earlier this year when members of the community again petitioned the representative and brought their cause to the public eye through contact with one of our local news stations. Again our engineers investigated the intersection - and found no major changes in traffic volumes, even with the development of the Arcadia Ridge subdivision.
To be clear, traffic volumes during a two-hour peak time period were sufficient to justify a signal, but district-wide best practices were employed to place the intersection on a list and wait until it reached a higher priority level. Why? Several intersections across our 12-county district have a two-hour peak traffic volume that's considerable, but during the remaining 22 hours of the day the traffic volumes are so light a signal would be extremely counter-productive - especially with the lofty price tags that can accompany the infrastructure for this sort of construction. That was the case at this location.
A compromise solution was brought forward that if the signal could be donated by the developer we would permit the signal installation based on the single warrant of the two-hour peak traffic volume. The developer of Bella Vista, Perry Homes, declined to make such a commitment. CTMGT Rancho Del Lago, the LLC developing the Arcadia Ridge subdivision, stepped up to provide the $158,000 in cash to have the signal installed. We (TxDOT) have donated the controller cabinets and steel poles at an additional $50,000 value.
Where we go from here
Work will start next week, if weather allows. The soggy ground from recent and upcoming rain may push this back a few days, but the bottom line is crews will be at work at this location this month to install the signals.
They'll have it all finished up by the end of March.
Those driving through the area should be aware of the overlap this work has with Bexar County's efforts to expand Potranco through this location, and the two projects may be tough to confuse. Simply put: if the contractor has a big "TSC" on their truck, hard hat or safety vest ... that worker is part of the county's project and issues need to be brought to Bexar County Public Works. If not, and the work is very confined to this intersection, there's a good bet it's signal work and issues need to be forwarded to TxDOT.
Note the crews working to install the signal are not hired by nor do they work for TxDOT; they work for CTMGT Ranch Del Lago under a permit given to them by TxDOT. Confusing? Perhaps ... but the delineation should be made. Still, TxDOT remains a good point of contact for issues that may arise.
While the work is ongoing folks driving the area should remain patient and know the work being done is to honor the request they've made. It'll be done soon enough, and we hope it provides the outcome so desired.
Thursday-Friday, December
15-16. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes at York Creek. The left
lane will close while crews move barrier.
Wednesday-Thursday, December
14-15. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes at York Creek. The right
lane will close while crews move barrier.
I-10 – Boerne
Sunday-Friday, December 4-9. 9
p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound main lanes at Scenic Loop Road. The
left lane will close while crews repair the retaining wall.
I-10 – East San
Antonio
Friday, December 9-Monday,
December 12. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. continuous. Eastbound main lanes between
Foster Road and FM 1516. All lanes will close while crews install drain
structures. Traffic will exit Foster Road and re-enter at the next
available ramp. Officers will control traffic at the Foster Road and FM
1516 intersections. This closure is a rescheduled closure from Dec.
2-5, rescheduled due to weather.
I-35 – Northeast
San Antonio
Sunday-Friday, December 4-9. 9
p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound exit to westbound I-410. Alternating
lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will exit
Walzem and continue along the frontage road to reach I-410.
Sunday-Friday, December 4-9. 9
p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Rittiman
and Walzem roads. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
Sunday-Friday, December 4-9. 9
p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Frontage roads, both directions, between
Rittiman and Walzem. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road
work.
Monday-Thursday, December 5-8.
9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound connector to southbound I-410. The
connector will close while crews move barrier. Traffic will exit George
Beach, turn around and reach southbound I-410 from the northbound frontage
road of I-35.
Monday-Friday, December 5-9. 9
a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Frontage roads, both directions, between
Rittiman and Walzem roads. Alternating lanes will close while crews do
road work.
I-35 – East San
Antonio
Monday-Friday, December 5-9. 9
a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Frontage road, both directions, between
Binz-Engleman and AT&T Center Parkway. The left lane will close while
crews do finish work.
I-410 –
Northeast San Antonio
Monday-Thursday, December 5-8.
9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound exit ramp southbound I-35. The ramp
will close while crews move barrier. Traffic will exit Thousand Oaks and
turn around to reach southbound I-35.
I-410 – East San
Antonio
Current through Friday,
December 2. Southbound main lanes over North WW White. The right lane will
close while crews repair damaged bridge rail.
I-410 –
Northwest San Antonio
Current until April 2017.
Northbound exit to Culebra Road. The exit will close while crews widen the
main lanes and frontage road. Traffic will exit Ingram Road, turn around
and get to Culebra on the southbound frontage road.
Hwy 151 –
Northwest San Antonio
Current through Friday,
December 16. Westbound exit ramp to Ingram and Potranco roads. The ramp
will remain closed while crews install bridge support structures for the
direct connector ramps being constructed.
Loop 1604 – Northwest San
Antonio
Sunday-Tuesday, December 4-6. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m.
nightly. Southbound direct connector to eastbound Hwy 151. The connector
will close while crews painters paint the concrete.
Other roads – Seguin
Current until Saturday, December 31. 9 a.m. until 4
p.m. daily. King Street, both directions, between Cedar Street and US 90.
All lanes will close while crews install storm drains and rebuild the
road. Traffic will use Hwy 123 as a detour.
Other roads – Northeast San
Antonio
Current until Tuesday, December 13. 8 p.m. until 6 a.m.
nightly. Northbound FM 1103 between FM 78 and Brite Road. Alternating
lanes will close as needed while crews repair the pavement.
Other roads – Northwest San
Antonio
Current until Monday, December 5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m.
nightly. Military Drive, both directions, at I-410. All lanes will close
while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the
frontage roads and turn around at the next intersection to reach its
destination.
Note: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, we stayed pretty well out of the way last week. Between now and December 15, expect to see all of our projects accelerate. We have a district-wide policy against major closures December 15 through January 2. Because of that, most of our contractors push to get their major immediately pressing work items done as soon as possible. This week will be a major closure on I-10 between Foster Road and FM 1516. Other major closures will be announced as appropriate.
I-10 – Seguin
Tuesday, November 29. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Westbound main lanes at Hwy 46 (exit 607). The deceleration lane and exit ramp will close while crews install pavement markings. Traffic will follow the posted detour.
Wednesday, November 30. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Westbound main lanes between Business 123 and Hwy 46. The right lane will close while crews build guardrail.
I-10 – Boerne
Sunday, November 27-Friday, December 2. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound main lanes at Scenic Loop Road. The left lane will close while crews repair the retaining wall.
I-10 – East San Antonio
Friday, December 2-Monday, December 5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. continuous. Eastbound main lanes between Foster Road and FM 1516. All lanes will close while crews install drain structures. Traffic will exit Foster Road and re-enter at the next available ramp. Officers will control traffic at the Foster Road and FM 1516 intersections.
I-35 – Northeast San Antonio
Sunday-Friday, November 27-December 2. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound exit to westbound I-410. Alternating lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will exit Walzem and continue along the frontage road to reach I-410.
Sunday-Friday, November 27-December 2. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Rittiman and Walzem roads. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
Sunday-Friday, November 27-December 2. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Frontage roads, both directions, between Rittiman and Walzem. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
Monday-Friday, November 28-December 2. 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Frontage roads, both directions, between Rittiman and Walzem roads. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
I-35 – East San Antonio
Monday-Friday, November 28-December 2. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Southbound frontage road between Binz-Engleman and Salado Creek. The right lane will close while crews work on curb and sidewalk.
I-410 – Northeast San Antonio
Sunday-Friday, November 27-December 2. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound exit ramp to Randolph Boulevard and the city of Windcrest. The ramp will close while crews do bridge work. Traffic will exit Thousand Oaks, turn around and return to Randolph Boulevard to reach its destination.
I-410 – East San Antonio
Current through Friday, December 2. Southbound main lanes over North WW White. The right lane will close while crews repair damaged bridge rail.
I-410 – Northwest San Antonio
Monday-Thursday, November 28-December 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between Ingram and Culebra roads. The right two lanes will close while crews install barrier and do concrete work.
Thursday-Friday, December 1-2. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Ingram and Culebra roads. All lanes will close while crews do overhead sign work. Traffic will exit Culebra Road, travel through the intersection and re-enter at the next available ramp.
US Hwy 281 – Central San Antonio
Current through Friday, December 2. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Main lanes, both directions, between Loop 1604 and Brook Hollow Road. The left lane will close while crews trim trees.
Hwy 151 – Northwest San Antonio
Current through Friday, December 16. Westbound exit ramp to Ingram and Potranco roads. The ramp will remain closed while crews install bridge support structures for the direct connector ramps being constructed.
Tuesday-Saturday, November 29-December 3. 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily. Westbound frontage road between Wiseman Boulevard and Loop 1604. The right lane will close while crews build a sound wall.
Loop 1604 – Northwest San Antonio
Tuesday-Saturday, November 29-December 3. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, at Potranco Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews set barrier.
Tuesday-Saturday, November 29-December 3. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between Potranco and Military. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
Tuesday-Saturday, November 29-December 3. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes at Wiseman Boulevard. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
Other roads – Seguin
Current until Saturday, December 31. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. King Street, both directions, between Cedar Street and US 90. All lanes will close while crews install storm drains and rebuild the road. Traffic will use Hwy 123 as a detour.
Other roads – Boerne
Monday-Thursday, November 28-December 1. 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Hwy 46, both directions, at Thunder Valley Road. Traffic will be limited to one-way traffic controlled by a flagger while crews build a center left turn lane.
Monday-Friday, November 28-December 2. 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Hwy 46, both directions, between Amman Road and Cinco Lane. Alternating lanes will close while crews set barrier.
Other roads – Northeast San Antonio
Sunday-Friday, November 27-December 2. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Randolph Boulevard, both directions, at I-35. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage road and turn around at the next available intersection to reach its destination.
Tuesday-Thursday, November 29-December 1. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Eastbound FM 78 between I-410 and Interstate Drive. The right lane will close while crews build sidewalk.
Wednesday-Friday, November 30-December 2. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Eastbound FM 78 between Braden Gate and Lakeview Drive. The right lane will close while crews build sidewalk.
Other roads – Northwest San Antonio
Current until Monday, December 5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Military Drive, both directions, at I-410. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage roads and turn around at the next intersection to reach its destination.
Sorry this is late to post! We missed getting some closures posted that occurred this weekend, and we sincerely apologize. If you got caught in traffic at the I-410-Hwy 151 interchange yesterday, or on US 90 on the west side of town, we're sorry.
Our crews and contractors are working hard to get as much work as they can finished before December 15; we don't allow them any major closures between December 15 and January 2. We'll also keep off the road next week during Thanksgiving (Thursday-Sunday) to make sure everyone can get to their destinations relatively easily.
At any rate, here's a look at what we've got:
I-10 – Boerne
Monday-Friday, November 14-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound main lanes at Scenic Loop Road. The left lane will close while crews repair the retaining wall.
Sunday-Wednesday, November 20-23. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound main lanes at Scenic Loop Road. The left lane will close while crews repair the retaining wall.
Sunday, November 27-Friday, December 2. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound main lanes at Scenic Loop Road. The left lane will close while crews repair the retaining wall.
I-10 – Leon Springs
Tuesday-Wednesday, November 15-16. 7:30 p.m. until 5 a.m. Eastbound frontage road between Ralph Fair Road and Boerne Stage Road. The right lane will close while crews move barrier.
I-10 – East San Antonio
Monday-Wednesday, November 14-16. 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound frontage roads at Foster Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews install concrete barrier.
I-35 – New Braunfels
Tuesday-Friday, November 15-18. 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily. Southbound frontage road between the Hays County line and FM 306. The right lane will close while crews repair asphalt.
Thursday-Monday, November 17-21. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Northbound main lanes at Alligator Creek. The right shoulder will close while crews work on guardrail.
I-35 – Northeast San Antonio
Sunday-Friday, November 13-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound exit to westbound I-410. Alternating lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will exit Walzem and continue along the frontage road to reach I-410.
Sunday-Friday, November 13-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Rittiman and Walzem roads. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
Sunday-Friday, November 13-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Frontage roads, both directions, between Rittiman and Walzem. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
Monday-Friday, November 14-18. 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Frontage roads, both directions, between Rittiman and Walzem roads. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
I-35 – East San Antonio
Sunday-Friday, November 13-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between AT&T Center Parkway and Binz-Engleman. Alternating lanes will close while crews do finish work.
Monday-Friday, November 14-18. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Northbound frontage road between AT&T Center Parkway and Binz-Engleman. The left lane will close while crews do finish work.
I-410 – Northeast San Antonio
Sunday-Friday, November 13-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound exit ramp to Randolph Boulevard and the city of Windcrest. The ramp will close while crews do bridge work. Traffic will exit Thousand Oaks, turn around and return to Randolph Boulevard to reach its destination.
I-410 – East San Antonio
Current through Friday, December 2. Southbound main lanes over North WW White. The right lane will close while crews repair damaged bridge rail.
I-410 – Northwest San Antonio
Current until May 2017. Northbound exit ramp to Culebra Road. The ramp will remain closed while crews reconstruct the main lanes and frontage road and construct a new ramp. Traffic will exit Ingram Road, turn around and return to Culebra to reach its destination.
Tuesday-Friday, November 15-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound frontage road at Hwy 151. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will head west on Hwy 151, turn around at Ingram Road and return to I-410 to reach its destination.
US Hwy 281 – Central San Antonio
Sunday-Friday, November 13-18. 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Airport and Josephine. Alternating lanes will close while crews do bridge work. This closure includes ramps as needed. Traffic will follow the posted detour route.
Monday-Friday, November 14-18. 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Main lanes, both directions, between I-35 and I-410. Alternating lanes will close while crews work on guardrail. This closure includes ramps as needed. Traffic will follow the posted detour route.
Hwy 151 – Northwest San Antonio
Current until December 2016. Westbound exit ramp to Ingram and Potranco roads. The ramp will remain closed while crews install bridge support structures for the direct connector ramps being constructed.
Tuesday-Friday, November 15-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound main lanes at I-410. All lanes will close while crews set overhead bridge support beams. Traffic will exit I-410, follow the frontage road and use the next available ramp.
Other roads – Seguin
Current until Saturday, December 31. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. King Street, both directions, between Cedar Street and US 90. All lanes will close while crews install storm drains and rebuild the road. Traffic will use Hwy 123 as a detour.
Other roads – Boerne
Sunday-Friday, November 13-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Scenic Loop Road, both directions, at I-10. Traffic will be reduced to one-way, controlled by off-duty officers while crews do roadwork.
Thursday-Friday, November 17-18. 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. Hwy 46, both directions, between Amman Road and Cinco Lane. Alternating lanes will close while crews lay asphalt.
Sunday-Wednesday, November 20-23. 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. nightly. Hwy 46, both directions, between Amman Road and Cinco Lane. Alternating lanes will close while crews lay asphalt.
Other roads – Northeast San Antonio
Sunday-Friday, November 13-18. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Randolph Boulevard, both directions, at I-35. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage road and turn around at the next available intersection to reach its destination.
Other roads – East Bexar County
Sunday-Friday, November 13-18. 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Westbound WW White between East Houston Street and Fairlawn Ave. The right lane will close while crews resurface the road.
Other roads – Northwest San Antonio
Current until Wednesday, November 30. 8:30 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound Bandera Road between Grissom and Tezel roads. Alternating lanes will close while crews repair the road.
Current until Monday, December 5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Military Drive, both directions, at I-410. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage roads and turn around at the next intersection to reach its destination.
Several weeks ago we got a very long, very carefully thought-out message from an individual who uses Loop 1604 between Culebra Road and I-10 on a regular basis. Well, for whatever reason that note had been pushed back quite a bit and deserves some real discussion - particularly since others have asked a lot of similar questions.
Hi, with the work done on the new 1604 modifications from Bandera down to Culebra, traffic has improved greatly going down toward Hwy 151. No more morning backups. Sadly, the traffic going towards UTSA on Loop 1604 appears to have become worse. The highway will back up clear back past the Braun exit each morning, then trickles down to the service road which was been ugly from Bandera on for a long time. Now the service road is backing up between Braun and Bandera now while the highway is gridlocked.
People are now getting desperate and cutting through the shopping centers and taking any path they can to avoid the backups or to cut down the line where possible. In the evening you can see gridlock situations going from Babcock down to Bandera. It seems like the growth has out lived the design of the Loop 1604 configuration in place today.
Is there a plan in the works to address this? I also wanted to thank the team for the great work done to get the overpasses and service roads completed between Bandera and Culebra. Sadly, people are blowing down these roadways at far more than the speed limits. We get passed every day by 98% of the vehicles driving on the service roads and the highway too like we're standing still. I know the lower speeds were put into place for safety due to upcoming work and growth in this area, but it creates a dangerous condition for those that are observing the speed limits in place. I've seen a few police in the area, but it isn't enough to deter these folks that want to fly through here like they are in the Indy 500. My family and I were almost taken out by a rock hauler blowing down the service road. It is pretty dangerous as it stands right now. I don't want a ticket for speeding nor do I want my family and I to be killed by these people far faster than the 40/60 setup today. - Rick
Rick, we feel you. You've got a few major issues to address here. We're gonna do our best to give the best answers we've got.
Speed limits
The current speed limits reflect a couple of things. The first is the old speed limit on the road, way back when this stretch of Loop 1604 (Bandera to Culebra) was a superstreet. It also matches the initial design speed - the speed that matches what our design manuals say we need to set a roadway at when it's built.
(Note: "Design Speed" is a misleading label; while it's the speed the road was "designed for", most of our roads remain safe at speeds a bit higher than the listed design speed.)
We've already looked at this stretch and are in the process of updating the speed limits - a process that requires some time and some action from the Texas Transportation Commission. If you're among the super-curious, here's a great resource on how we determine the posted speed limits. The bottom line: we're working on it. We don't have a firm timeline on when we could have these speed limits updated, but it should be right about the turn of the new year.
New congestion issues
Interestingly, the congestion on Lp 1604 isn't actually adding more time to commutes than what was taken before. The time spent backed up at New Guilbeau and Braun roads is now spent on the main lanes, providing a bit of an illusion that it's a longer commute. In the past, those signals at New Guilbeau and Braun metered traffic to the main lanes a bit. However, we are seeing some small upticks in traffic volume during peak hours. What's happening is folks that were on FM 1560 are now on Loop 1604. Why? Well, with the main lanes of Lp 1604 opened up, it's now a little faster to scoot from the area of Culebra to Bandera along those main lanes than it would be to use FM 1560. For now, at least.
Future development
The short answer here is we don't have anything in the immediate future that will address these issues. What really needs to happen is an upgrade to the interchange at I-10 and Lp 1604, where the bulk of the morning backup is coming from. Well, that's something we're working with the MPO to find a good plan for; the most recent plans for an upgrade of the interchange (they come with a price tag of about half a billion dollars for a full interchange) would involve managed lanes.
We're still working on a plan, though.
We are also aware of the need for added capacity to Loop 1604 between Bandera Road and ... well, I-35, really. That's a whole other ball of wax, but we're working on it.
Both of these issues are considered in the MPO's Transportation Improvement Program. If you look at the spreadsheet, you'll note we have one portion of the connectors planned for fiscal year 2017 and an expansion of Lp 1604 planned for fiscal year 2020. Those funds haven't been identified nor secured, though, so at this point these are placeholders. One idea we're trying to find some traction for in the interim is what engineers call "operational improvements". That is, we can move some of the exit and entrance ramps along Loop 1604 to promote a better flow of traffic. Yes, this means we'd see folks exiting onto frontage roads, re-entering, then exiting again. That's called queue hopping. The practice may aggravate some, but it's actually helpful to the system. It would also help for traffic going westbound at night - that's the traffic backing up as it heads to Bandera Road. If that exit and the on-ramp from Hausman were swapped, we might see some huge improvements to traffic flow at night. The challenge would be designing it appropriately and within financial constraints - determining whether we need to add an auxiliary lane to the overpasses or not, that kind of thing - before really getting to sink our teeth into it. For now, nothing is funded and we've not been given this as a priority from the MPO, so we've not got a plan to present. Just a lot of ideas we're fleshing through.
November 7, 2000 - it's an important date in Texas history.
No one person did anything fantastic, per se. In fact, it may be the only date we mark by something not happening.
It is the last day we've not seen, as a state, a fatality on Texas roads.
Every single day since, at least one Texas motorist has lost their life. Every day, millions of Texans get into a 2,000-plus pound implement that's proven to be one of the deadliest weapons our society has ever seen. They think nothing of it. Yet, somehow, an average of 10 people don't make it home each day.
Seriously. Let's look at the numbers together. Last year alone we lost 3,577 people statewide - that's right on par (maybe a tick above) our annual average over the last decade-plus. About one-third of these fatalities were due to alcohol-related crashes. Another third were folks not buckled properly. Another 482 of the deaths were because someone wanted to check a text, email, tweet or facebook post.
Locally, we saw 193 people die in Bexar County last year. That's nearly 4 people every week. That's more than twice the number of firearms-related deaths last year. Of those 193 people, 48 percent were killed in alcohol-related crashes.
Forty. Eight. Percent.
That's absolutely inexcusable for our wonderful area - one with such a rich position in Texas' history deserves more than such an ignominious claim.
These are senseless, easily preventable deaths that destroy families and rob too many of loved ones. Together, we can give Texas a fatality free day again. We can End The Streak. Here's what we're doing:
Implement high engineering standards in building our highway system
Ask our public partners to spread the word on traffic safety
Involve every resource we have, from social to traditional media, to engage in educational campaigns regarding safe driving practices
We can build our roads as safe as possible, but if people continue to refuse to use the road safely and responsibly we will continue to have this problem. As drivers and passengers, we're asking you to:
Make a commitment to ensure all occupants of your vehicle are properly buckled, every single time
Decide now to never drink and drive; one drink is far too many if you're planning to get behind the wheel of a car
Pay attention to driving while you're in the drivers' seat; it's not a phone booth or a desk to check emails at, it's a driver's seat
Obey the posted speed limits and drive at safe speeds when inclement weather requires it
Remember, when we get into a driver's seat, our full attention needs to be on driving - no exceptions. These cars we drive can quickly become lethal weapons aimed at everything our headlights cast a beam upon. We need to respect them as such, and treat them with greater care when we're driving. Most of these roadway fatalities are completely preventable.
So we'll leave this post with a simple question: what are you doing to make the roads a little safer for your family and the families of those all around you?
Note: no major closures will impact traffic to voting locations Tuesday, November 8.
I-35 – New Braunfels
Sunday-Friday, November 6-11. 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between the Hays-Comal county line and FM 306. The right lane will close while crews resurface the road.
Tuesday-Wednesday, November 8-9. 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Southbound main lanes at York Creek Bridge. The left lane will close while crews pour concrete.
I-35 – Northeast San Antonio
Sunday, November 6. 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Southbound frontage road between Walzem Road and I-410. Alternating lanes will close while crews reopen the Walzem exit ramp.
Sunday-Friday, November 6-11. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound exit to westbound I-410. Alternating lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will exit Walzem and continue along the frontage road to reach I-410.
Sunday-Friday, November 6-11. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Rittiman and Walzem roads. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
Sunday-Friday, November 6-11. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Frontage roads, both directions, between Rittiman and Walzem. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
Monday-Friday, November 7-11. 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily. Frontage roads, both directions, between Rittiman and Walzem roads. Alternating lanes will close while crews do road work.
I-35 – East San Antonio
Sunday-Friday, November 6-11. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between AT&T Center Parkway and Binz-Engleman. Alternating lanes will close while crews do finish work.
Monday-Friday, November 7-11. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Southbound main lanes between AT&T Center Parkway and Binz-Engleman. The right lane will close as needed to repair crash cushions.
Monday-Friday, November 7-11. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Frontage road, both directions, between AT&T Center Parkway and Binz-Engleman. The left lane will close while crews do finish work.
I-410 – Northeast San Antonio
Sunday, November 6. 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Eastbound connector to southbound I-35. The ramp will close while crews open the southbound I-35 exit ramp to Walzem. Traffic will take northbound I-35 to Starlight Terrace, turn around and enter the southbound main lanes of I-35 to reach its destination.
Sunday-Friday, November 6-11. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound exit ramp to Randolph Boulevard and the city of Windcrest. The ramp will close while crews do bridge work. Traffic will exit Thousand Oaks, turn around and return to Randolph Boulevard to reach its destination.
I-410 – East San Antonio
Current through Friday, December 2. Southbound main lanes over North WW White. The right lane will close while crews repair damaged bridge rail.
I-410 – South San Antonio
Sunday-Monday, November 6-7. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Westbound frontage road at Goliad Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe the road.
Sunday-Monday, November 6-7. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Eastbound frontage road between Valley Hi and Medina Base Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe the road. This closure includes the entrance before Valley Hi. Traffic will use the next available ramp.
I-410 – Northwest San Antonio
Sunday-Thursday, November 6-10. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Somerset and Roosevelt roads. All lanes will close while crews resurface the road. Traffic will exit the highway, follow the frontage road and re-enter at the next available ramp.
Monday-Friday, November 7-10. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Marbach and Culebra roads. All lanes will close while crews work on overhead highway signs. Traffic will exit Hwy 151, follow the frontage roads and re-enter the highway at the next available ramp.
Monday-Friday, November 7-10. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound frontage road at Hwy 151. The right lane will close while crews move barrier.
US Hwy 281 – Central San Antonio
Sunday-Friday, November 6-11. 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Airport and Josephine. Alternating lanes will close while crews do bridge work. This closure includes ramps as needed. Traffic will follow the posted detour route.
Monday-Friday, November 7-11. 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Main lanes, both directions, between I-35 and I-410. Alternating lanes will close while crews work on guardrail. This closure includes ramps as needed. Traffic will follow the posted detour route.
Loop 1604 – Northwest San Antonio
Sunday-Thursday, November 6-10. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound frontage road between Culebra Road and Alamo Ranch Parkway. All lanes will close while crews resurface the road. Traffic will use Westwood Loop to reach its destination. This closure includes the southbound exit to Alamo Ranch Parkway. Exiting traffic will use the Culebra Road exit.
Hwy 151 – Northwest San Antonio
Current until December 2016. Westbound exit ramp to Ingram and Potranco roads. The ramp will remain closed while crews install bridge support structures for the direct connector ramps being constructed.
Other roads – Seguin
Current until Saturday, December 31. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. King Street, both directions, between Cedar Street and US 90. All lanes will close while crews install storm drains and rebuild the road. Traffic will use Hwy 123 as a detour.
Other roads – Boerne
Sunday-Friday, November 6-11. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Scenic Loop Road, both directions, at I-10. Traffic will be reduced to one-way, controlled by off-duty officers while crews do roadwork.
Other roads – Northeast San Antonio
Sunday-Friday, November 6-11. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Randolph Boulevard, both directions, at I-35. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage road and turn around at the next available intersection to reach its destination.
Other roads – East Bexar County
Saturday, November 5. 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. FM 78, both directions, at Loop 1604. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe the road.
Other roads – Southeast Bexar County
Saturday, November 5. 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. South Presa Street, both directions, between US Hwy 181 and I-37. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe intersections.
Sunday-Friday, November 6-11. 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Northbound WW White between the intersection of WW White and SE Military and I-10. The right lane will close while crews resurface the road.
Other roads – West San Antonio
Saturday, November 5. 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. West Military Drive, both directions, between Five Palms Drive and US Hwy 90. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe intersections.
Other roads – Northwest San Antonio
Monday, November 7 until Monday, December 5. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Military Drive, both directions, at I-410. All lanes will close while crews do overhead bridge work. Traffic will turn right onto the frontage roads and turn around at the next intersection to reach its destination.
Work to convert the frontage roads on I-10 between Dominion Drive and Boerne Stage Road, including some operational improvements between Boerne Stage Road and Ralph Fair Road, is now officially more than a month overdue.
Before we get into the details of what that means, let's talk about upcoming work schedules and what the area will look like - particularly around the shopping hub near Boerne Stage Road - through the Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus holidays.
What's happening
This week crews had Cielo Vista closed in halves to run drain structures across the road and reconstruct its connection with the eastbound frontage road of I-10. TSC's bridge crew is working to wrap up the reconstruction of the two-way bridge between Boerne Stage Road and Aue Road, with an aim to have it reopened in the next two weeks.
The road crew is working to blend the eastbound frontage road bridge over Leon Creek between the new Wal-Mart and Boerne Stage Road so it can be finished this month.
The dirt crew is working on the retaining walls and road path for the new exit and entrance ramps on the eastbound side of the highway between Boerne Stage and Dominion.
The concrete crew and electricians are wrapping up work at the intersection of the eastbound frontage road and Boerne Stage Road.
Where we'll be
The biggest takeaway for folks in the Leon Springs area is knowing that, before November 21, Texas Sterling Construction will have completed all major work between Ralph Fair Road and Boerne Stage Road. That means on both sides of the highway. One member of the project leadership team said that, weather notwithstanding, there is "no way" they won't have things finished to this point before November 21.
That means that bridge between Aue and Boerne Stage will be back open, helping traffic to and from Leon Springs Elementary School.
That means the eastbound frontage road will be at full capacity between Boerne Stage Road and Cielo Vista (though still down to one lane after Cielo Vista) and all the work across driveways up to Cielo Vista will be finished.
That means traffic between Ralph Fair and Boerne Stage - on both sided of I-10 - will be in its final configuration.
Note: We'll still need to lay our final surface of asphalt, final road striping and sodding ... all that will happen when everything else project-wide has finished.
Running behind
Those who've followed this project since its start in 2015 know we've been hit hard by rains and suffered a delay at the hands of utility conflicts. The potential of rain is built into our contracts, and are already accounted for. We might have a case to credit time back to the contract, but that's not typical for a project like this.
The utility delays are not reflected in the current estimate report on this project. When the project is finished we'll sit down with the contractor to determine exactly how much of a time impact the utility delays had on the project (based on critical path project management) and negotiate from there.
Until then, we are assessing liquidated damages of nearly $1300 per work day (five days per week, basically). Right now those charges could spell quickly a six-figure chunk taken out of the profit margin on the contract.
Looking ahead
Once work up to Cielo Vista is finished dirt crews will focus on and finish the footprint for the new eastbound entrance and exit ramps between Boerne Stage Road and Dominion Drive. You'll see concrete crews finish curb and sidewalk on both sides of the highway. Right now we're hoping to finish work by early 2017, and we'll then get to work on the final surface of asphalt. Remember paving is highly weather-sensitive and, though we'll be working to do it overnight so we don't impact daily traffic too much, if temperatures overnight are too cold we may need to look at other alternatives.
Beginning Monday and running until next spring the northbound I-410 exit ramp to Culebra Road will close while Williams Brothers works on the widening of the main lanes of I-410 and the frontage road, and reconstructs the new northbound exit ramp.
Well, that was a big ol' paragraph with a lot of information. Here's the break-down:
Closure
For those only worried about their commutes come Nov. 7, here's the must-know item: the northbound exit ramp to Culebra Road will close until spring 2017. You've got two options here, and depending on the traffic situation you may have a preference to think through.
Option one (our official option) is to exit Ingram Road, turn around at Ingram and return to Culebra on the southbound frontage road of I-410. The distance here makes this seem scary, and morning rush traffic may make approaching the Ingram intersection seem daunting. However, you'll find traffic in that left lane approaching Ingram is light and you have a dedicated turnaround to help you avoid the signal.
Option two is to exit Hwy 151 and pass through the Hwy 151 and Military Drive intersections, then continue on the frontage road to Culebra. If you hit the signals just right and traffic is light, this option may be viable - but it's not our top recommendation.
Bonus option: something of your own construct. Let's face it ... it's 2016. You've likely got a digital GPS giving you traffic updates in real time. You'll find an alternate route that's not listed here. If so, congratulations!
Why the closure
The short version is we're widening the main lanes and frontage road to accept the new direct connector to northbound I-410 from eastbound Hwy 151, which is why we've got that bridge work over Huebner Creek going right now. This exit ramp is scheduled to be shut down anyway, replaced with a ramp located around the current entrance from Military Drive. That means those trying to exit and get to that McDonald's right there won't have to bust over so many lanes so quickly any more - when we're all done, that is.
That ramp will be what's called a braided ramp; that is, the new exit ramp will bridge over the current entrance ramp from Military (so we're not moving the ramp from Military...).
If you've not already seen or heard one, let this be your regular reminder of the importance of staying safe during Halloween.
Those with kids are busily worrying about the candy that gets generously placed in their kids' loot bags. Those without kids are ensuring they've got a sober ride home from their parties (or they had better be).
One aspect that's often overlooked is that of pedestrian safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a report in 2008 identifying Halloween as the second-most dangerous night of the year for pedestrians (behind only New Years Eve). We have no indication this has changed in the last eight years.
There are many reasons, though we won't go through lengths to describe each of them. We simply want everyone not pulling door duty this evening to be extremely aware of some factors likely contributing to our issue - particularly when our city already sees an alarmingly high number of pedestrian collisions. At any rate, remember this:
Not all costumes are easily visible. Not many Batman costumes come with strobe lights for safety, and even those little Kylo Rens or Reys running around may lack enough light from their light sabers to make them noticeable from a car. Some neighborhoods are dark, the result of homeowners associations preferring to avoid light pollution in private yards. As a driver, staying extra alert and driving just a little slower may help a ton and allow our trick-or-treaters to enjoy their spoils.
Some costumes are hard to see out of. They've gotten better over the years, but Halloween masks are still tough for little kids to see out of. This means they may not see you when they look both ways to cross the street and inadvertently step out in front of you.
There are simply more people out on Halloween than on other nights. This means more opportunity for an issue to arise, and it requires more attention from drivers to keep from running into - literally - a problem.
Whatever the cause, we know there's a higher occurrence of pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes on Halloween. Please, please do what you can to make sure you don't become another statistic or news story. Make sure Halloween stays safe for you and for those around you!
By the way ... safety tonight isn't only the responsibility of the drivers ... if you're out and about, it's on you, too!
