The big'uns to look for in December

Our contractors are working at blistering paces on projects district-wide to ensure we have no closures impeding holiday travel after school districts let out for the Christmas break. That happens, for nearly all major school districts in our area, at some point the week of December 18-22.
In order to ensure the work we do between about December 18 and January 2 is done without closures you'll see a flurry of overnight closures and at least three semi-major closures in the San Antonio area.
Check our weekly lane closures report for overnight closures. Here is a brief list of our biggest closures to be aware of:

• Friday, December 1 at 8 p.m. until Monday, December 4 at 5 a.m. I-410 main lanes and frontage road, both directions, at US 90. All lanes will close while crews set steel bridge support beams overhead. Southbound traffic will exit westbound US 90, turn around at Hunt Lane and return to southbound I-410. Northbound traffic will exit eastbound US 90, turn around at Military Drive and return to northbound I-410.
• Friday, December 15 at 8 p.m. until Saturday, December 16 at 6 p.m. I-10 main lanes, both directions, at Fair Oaks Parkway. All lanes will close while crews pour concrete to form a bridge deck overhead. Traffic in both directions will exit Fair Oaks Parkway, continue through the intersection and re-enter the highway.
• Friday, December 15 at 8 p.m. until Monday, December 18 at 5 a.m. I-35 main lanes, both directions, between George Beach and Randolph Boulevard. Alternating lanes will close, two at a time, while crews resurface the road. When the closure is picked up the capacity of I-35 will be increased by one lane in each direction (main lanes traffic will be in its final configuration).

Please plan accordingly.

This week's construction-related closures

I-10 – Fair Oaks Ranch

• Current until Friday, December 29. Westbound frontage road at Old Fredericksburg Road. All lanes will close while crews replace drain structures. Traffic will follow the signed detour route, including a temporary route under the new overpass at Old Fredericksburg, to reach its destination.

I-10 – Leon Springs

• Wednesday, November 27 until Friday, December 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Ralph Fair Road and La Cantera Parkway. Alternating lanes will close while crews set barrier.

I-35 – Schertz

• Current until October 2018. Frontage roads, both directions, at FM 1103. The right lane will close while crews replace the FM 1103 overpass bridge.

I-35 – East San Antonio

• Current until Monday, December 11. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between George Beach and Thousand Oaks. Alternating lanes will close while crews lay asphalt.
• Saturday-Sunday, December 2-3. 5 a.m. until 6 p.m. Main lanes, both directions, between Thousand Oaks and George Beach drives. Alternating lanes will close, two at a time, while crews lay asphalt.
• Saturday-Sunday, December 9-10. 5 a.m. until 6 p.m. Main lanes, both directions, between Thousand Oaks and George Beach drives. Alternating lanes will close, two at a time, while crews lay asphalt.

I-37 – Downtown San Antonio

• Current and continuous until Friday, December 1 at 5 p.m. Northbound exit ramp to Florida and Carolina avenues (exit 140A). The ramp will close while crews rebuild the slope near the exit. Traffic will exit Cesar Chavez (exit 140B) and turn around to reach its destination.

I-410 – North San Antonio

• Monday, November 27 until Friday, December 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound main lanes between Nacogdoches and Ira Lee roads. Alternating lanes will close while crews resurface the road. This closure includes ramps as needed.

I-410 – West San Antonio

• Current until December 2018. Turnarounds, both directions, at Marbach Road. The turnarounds will remain closed while crews construct the new Marbach overpass bridge. Traffic will use the signalized intersection.
• Monday, November 27 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, November 28 at 5 a.m. Southbound main lanes between Ingram Road and Military Drive. All lanes will close while crews install overhead highway signs. Traffic will exit Ingram Road, continue along the frontage road and use the next available entrance ramp.
• Monday-Thursday, November 27-30. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Southbound main lanes between Culebra Road and Military Drive. The right lane will close while crews do bridge work. This closure includes the exit to Military Drive and the entrance from Culebra Road.
• Friday, December 1 at 8 p.m. until Monday, December 4 at 5 a.m. Main lanes and frontage roads, both directions, at US Hwy 90. All lanes will close while crews set steel bridge support beams overhead. This is a total closure of the highway. All traffic will exit US Hwy 90. Southbound traffic will head west to Hunt Lane, turn around and return to I-410. Northbound traffic will head east to West Military, turn around and return to I-410.

U.S. Hwy 90 – West San Antonio

• Friday, December 1 at 8 p.m. until Monday, December 4 at 5 a.m. Eastbound ramp to southbound I-410, westbound ramp to northbound I-410. The ramps will close while crews set overhead bridge support beams. Eastbound traffic will turn around at West Military to reach its destination. Westbound traffic will turn around at Hunt Lane to reach its destination.

U.S. Hwy 281 – North San Antonio

• Monday, November 27 until Friday, December 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes at Sonterra Boulevard. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
• Monday, November 27 until Friday, December 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound frontage roads between Loop 1604 and Sonterra Boulevard. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
• Monday-Friday, December 4-8. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Donella Drive and Sonterra Boulevard. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe the road. This closure includes the entrance ramp from Donella Drive and Henderson Pass.
• Monday-Friday, December 4-8. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes at Sonterra Boulevard. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.

Hwy 151 – Northwest San Antonio

• Monday, November 27 until Friday, December 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Frontage roads, both directions, between Ingram and Potranco roads. The turn lanes will close while crews work on pedestrian signal poles.
• Monday, November 27 until Friday, December 8. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound frontage road between Ingram and Potranco roads. The left lane will close while crews work on overhead highway sign support structures. This closure will not be done on Friday or Saturday nights.

Loop 1604 – Northwest San Antonio

• Current until Friday, January 26, 2018. North-to-south turnaround at Bandera Road. The turnaround will remain closed while crews do road work. Traffic will use the signalized intersection to turn around.

Other roads – Helotes

• Current until Sunday, December 31. Bandera Road, both directions, at FM 1560. All left- and right-turn lanes will close while crews do road work. Those turning onto FM 1560 or onto Circle A Trail will do so from the through lanes of traffic. Field staff will adjust signal timing as required.

Other roads – West San Antonio

• Friday, December 1 at 9 p.m. until Monday, December 4 at 6 a.m. Marbach Road, both directions, west of Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews reconstruct the intersection. Traffic will use Emory Peak to reach its destination.
• Monday, December 4 at 9 a.m. until Friday, December 8 at 5 p.m. Westcreek Oaks Drive, both directions, at Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews construct the new southbound frontage road. Traffic will use Military Drive and Potranco Road to reach its destination.

All closures are pending weather.

Mail Bag: Turnarounds along I-10 East, resurfacing on Lp 1604 and more

I recently discovered a historical marker on Ammann Rd just east of SH 46, celebrating the Pinta Trail. If I had not checked out the Historical Commission of Texas' website, I would have never knew it existed. Are there not a lot of historical marker directional signage on state-maintained roads in Kendall County? I seem to see them in many other portions of the State, but maybe I'm missing the forest for the trees in my own area.
- Mark
This question caused us to go back to our Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices and our traffic operations gurus to find a good answer. Section 2M.11 covers these specific signs.
You're welcome to peruse the MUTCD on your own at any time. It's a handy guide for understanding the why's behind the what's with our signs.
Alright ... the answer (in plain English): We provide signs for all historical markers that are within our right-of-way and are outside city limits. In this case, the marker may have fallen outside our right-of-way and may even be in city limits.
If there are any markers you're seeing without these call-out signs that fit the bill of being in our right-of-way and are outside city limits, let us know!

The schematic for the IH 10 E & FM 1516 intersection calls for a complete reconfiguration, with turnarounds in both directions (for 1516) and two lanes in each direction for the underpass, including replacing existing riprap with retaining wall. Presently TSC has used the eastern half of the 1516 overpass to install an east-to-west turnaround. Why does this differ from the project schematic? And when will the 1516 intersection be reconfigured to match the schematic? If TSC bid an alternate to the schematic, why wasn't the public notified?
- Marshall
Great questions, Marshall. For argument's sake, let's use the schematics posted online as our base for this conversation. Fair?

These schematics are preliminary and used to explain what our overall vision for the project is. This vision remains.
Yes, we fully intend to construct turnarounds at the FM 1516 intersection as we had presented during our public meetings on the work being done. During the detailed design stages of the project we discovered an elevation issue with this intersection, however. If we were to construct the turnarounds under the current bridge, as shown in the preliminary schematics, we would end up with either (1) turnarounds rendered unusable by large trucks because the clearance under the bridge is too short or (2) major flooding problems from turnarounds cut deeply into the ground and set well below the elevation of the roadway around it.
The solution? Build a new bridge.
That's happening during the expansion of I-10 set to begin later next year. We're adding a lane in each direction between I-410 and Loop 1604. In doing this, we're also replacing many of the overpass bridges - including the bridge over FM 1516 - and making them longer, taller and wider. After this bridge work is done the turnarounds will be built permanently.
The turnarounds you're seeing built right now to serve eastbound-to-westbound traffic is a temporary turnaround conceived to ease traffic pressures at the intersection with the one-way roads. We've actually change-ordered this temporary turnaround into the contract Texas Sterling has; their plans never included the turnarounds earlier.

Why is the Thousand Oaks exit off I-35 closed and is this permanent?
- Lucille
It is permanent - and rather than call it "closed" we would call it "moved". We discussed this in a video post earlier, but we moved the exit south a bit to improve the overall operation of the highway out there.

I noticed Asphalt Milling Machines and rollers parked on this of 1604 West bound close to La Cantera. If this for a TxDOT project on 1604 or something else?
- Zane
Nope, that's us! We are resurfacing Loop 1604 (main lanes and frontage roads) between Bandera Road and Rogers Ranch/Bitters Road. Work started back in October and will continue until summer 2018. Expect to see daytime work on the frontage roads. We'll stay off the main lanes during the day, though. Don't expect to see that overnight activity until temperatures heat up, this upcoming spring.

On the SH 16 & 1604 project I see that the base is layers of asphalt. What's the life span for this method? It doesn't seem to work long on normal street traffic.
- Pamela

This is actually pretty standard for us. There are several layers to a roadway. The Express-News did a really interesting story about the Recipe for a Roadway almost two years ago. It's definitely worth a look.
Any roadway is a lot like an onion - there are several layers most of us never see or fully understand. What's more, those layers are not all asphalt - we often mistake other layers as mere digging or blading, when we're really building those additional non-asphalt layers.
Our depths are different than what you see on a city street or in your subdivision - that's important to keep in mind. While many municipal roadways measure their depth in inches, ours are measured in feet. That base of asphalt is at least 18 inches deep and rests atop base layers of a variety of compacted soils.

What is the status of putting the steel beams in place for hwy 151 over 410? I remember a while back it was supposed to occur in November. Now there appears to be no word of it. In fact it seems the hwy 90 work is going faster than 151.
- Steve
The beams should be here in January, and we could be setting beams as soon as February. This falls within the timeframe given back in June.
As for project pace, please do not refer to a single aspect of the projects to make an overall assessment of the progress of projects. Doing so can set yourself up for an unreasonable expectation on both projects.
To be honest, both jobs are on their predetermined pace; the 151-410 project is set to wrap up late summer 2018 as promised when we broke ground. The 410-90 project still has quite a bit of work remaining. While you're seeing steel beams placed, you'll carefully note the frontage work now nearly done on the 151-410 project has a long way to go. You'll also note the bridge work and work on the ramps at Marbach has just begun and has more than a year before that's complete. That sort of work on the 410-151 job has nearly finished.
Hopefully that helps.

(Re)Opening tomorrow: Northbound I-410 exit to Culebra

Crews with Williams Brothers Construction will have the northbound I-410 exit to Culebra Road reopened in time for the morning commute tomorrow - Wednesday, November 22.
We know that's more than seven months after we had initially promised to have the ramp reopened. We've discussed that issue previously, and the only thing we can really add to those explanations is a heartfelt expression of our regret we weren't able to keep the initial commitment.
The new ramp runs under the future northbound entrance from Military Drive, which is currently scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2018.
For those curious about other aspects of the project at I-410 and Hwy 151, here are a few quick hits:

• The turnarounds at Ingram Road (and elsewhere) should be opened by the first part of 2018. We have asphalt work there that's very temperature-dependent and we are working out ways to get that done during the daytime without disrupting too badly traffic on the frontage roads.
• The entirety of work on the main lanes of Hwy 151 is nearing completion, and we could have barriers removed and everything opened up fully as soon as Christmas. This includes, by the way, having that westbound ramp to Hunt Lane reopened. There are still some major items remaining, like concrete and asphalt work, but project bosses are telling us we should be able to squeeze all this in before Santa makes his rounds.
• The steel beams to be set for the direct connectors are still planned to be set by February if all goes well. We have some closure restrictions for the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo coming up in February, so we can't commit to anything specific just yet. Please know we are as anxious as anyone to have those things in place and hope to do so around that timeframe.
• The widening on the southbound frontage road of I-410 over Leon Creek should wrap up by January 2018, allowing us to get that frontage road back to full capacity and, perhaps, get that greenway under the road reopened for use.

Closures impeding Thanksgiving weekend travel?

If you're headed over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house this week the last thing you're going to want to encounter is highway construction.
We feel the same way. The following note was sent to construction supervisors across our district a week ago. This covers all projects in Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Guadalupe, Kendall, Kerr, Medina, McMullen, Wilson and Uvalde counties.

The overall gist of the memo is simple: we should have no planned lane closures on major roads during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, defined as beginning noon Wednesday and ending 10 pm Sunday. This doesn't mean we won't have any work going on, but it does mean that work will be done without needing closures.
During the holiday week both maintenance and construction inspectors will drive through projects to ensure major issues that crop up are dealt with in a timely manner. Things they'll specifically look for are work zone signs, barricade placement and pavement markings.
Before the holiday break comes crews will dress up the project areas as much as is practical.
One thing drivers can expect to see is a continuation of detours for long-term closures, like ramps or other features that have been closed long-term.
If something weird happens through the week our folks in the field will pass word along so we are able to post on our Twitter feed and get that information out there. We know many folks aren't on Twitter, but all major news outlets are and they follow us. If something weird happens, the news outlets will know and will be passing word along to you.
This isn't the only period on our calendar with such closure moratoriums. We'll have a similar prohibition on closures running December 15-January 2. Some minor exceptions may be made, but those are extremely rare.
These closure restrictions are long-running norms for us in the San Antonio District, by the way, and are designed to keep us out of your way during peak seasonal traffic and to allows everyone to stay just a little more safe as we prepare for that extra time with family.
And for those of you traveling beyond our little slice of Texas, check www.drivetexas.org for major closures across the great state of Texas. Please make sure you do not check the DriveTexas maps while driving; that's a job for someone in a passenger seat.

Next week's construction-related closures

Note: No closures will be permitted from 22 November at noon until 26 November at 10 p.m.

I-10 – Seguin

• Saturday, November 18. 12:01 a.m. until 5 p.m. Eastbound frontage road at Hwy 46. All lanes will close while crews do road work. Traffic will use FM 464 to reach its destination.

I-10 – Fair Oaks Ranch

• Current until Friday, December 29. Westbound frontage road at Old Fredericksburg Road. All lanes will close while crews replace drain structures. Traffic will follow the signed detour route, including a temporary route under the new overpass at Old Fredericksburg, to reach its destination.
• Friday, November 17 at 9 p.m. until Saturday, November 18 at 6 p.m. Main lanes, both directions, at Fair Oaks Parkway. All lanes will close while crews set bridge deck panels overhead. Traffic will exit Fair Oaks Parkway, continue through the intersection and re-enter the highway.

I-10 – Leon Springs

• Wednesday, November 29 until Friday, December 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Ralph Fair Road and La Cantera Parkway. Alternating lanes will close while crews set barrier.

I-10 – Northwest San Antonio

• Monday-Tuesday, November 20-21. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Eastbound frontage road between Magnolia and Mistletoe. The right lane will close while crews do concrete work.

I-35 – Schertz

• Current until October 2018. Frontage roads, both directions, at FM 1103. The right lane will close while crews replace the FM 1103 overpass bridge.
• Monday, November 21 at 10 p.m. until Tuesday, November 22 at 2 a.m. Southbound main lanes at FM 1103. The left lane will close while crews repair a crash cushion.

I-35 – Northeast San Antonio

• Saturday, November 18. 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. Main lanes, both directions, between Walzem Road and Thousand Oaks. All lanes will close while crews install overhead highway signs. Northbound traffic will exit Walzem Road and southbound traffic will exit Randolph Boulevard. Both traffic directions will follow posted detour signs to re-enter the highway at the next available ramp.

I-35 – East San Antonio

• Current until Monday, November 27. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between George Beach and Thousand Oaks. Alternating lanes will close while crews lay asphalt.
• Monday-Tuesday, November 20-21. 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Main lanes, both directions, between I-410 and Broadway. The right lane will close while crews pour concrete. This closure includes ramps as needed. Traffic will use the next available ramp.
• Saturday-Sunday, December 2-3. 5 a.m. until 6 p.m. Main lanes, both directions, between Thousand Oaks and George Beach drives. Alternating lanes will close, two at a time, while crews lay asphalt.
• Saturday-Sunday, December 9-10. 5 a.m. until 6 p.m. Main lanes, both directions, between Thousand Oaks and George Beach drives. Alternating lanes will close, two at a time, while crews lay asphalt.

I-37 – Downtown San Antonio

• Current and continuous until Friday, December 1 at 5 p.m. Northbound exit ramp to Florida and Carolina avenues (exit 140A). The ramp will close while crews rebuild the slope near the exit. Traffic will exit Cesar Chavez (exit 140B) and turn around to reach its destination.

I-410 – West San Antonio

• Current until Friday, November 24. 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.
• Current until December 2018. Turnarounds, both directions, at Marbach Road. The turnarounds will remain closed while crews construct the new Marbach overpass bridge. Traffic will use the signalized intersection.
• Friday, November 17 at 8 p.m. until Monday, November 20 at 5 a.m. Main lanes and frontage roads, both directions, at US Hwy 90. All lanes will close while crews set steel bridge support beams overhead. This is a total closure of the highway. All traffic will exit US Hwy 90. Southbound traffic will head west to Hunt Lane, turn around and return to I-410. Northbound traffic will head east to West Military, turn around and return to I-410.
• Sunday, November 19 at 8 p.m. until Monday, November 20 at 5 a.m. Northbound main lanes between Hwy 151 and Ingram Road. All lanes will close while crews pour concrete to form the bridge deck over Leon Creek. This closure will not take place simultaneous to work on I-410 at US Hwy 90. If that work persists Sunday night, this closure will be moved to Monday night.
• Friday, December 1 at 8 p.m. until Monday, December 4 at 5 a.m. Main lanes and frontage roads, both directions, at US Hwy 90. All lanes will close while crews set steel bridge support beams overhead. This is a total closure of the highway. All traffic will exit US Hwy 90. Southbound traffic will head west to Hunt Lane, turn around and return to I-410. Northbound traffic will head east to West Military, turn around and return to I-410.

U.S. Hwy 90 – West San Antonio

• Friday, November 17 at 8 p.m. until Monday, November 20 at 5 a.m. Eastbound ramp to southbound I-410, westbound ramp to northbound I-410. The ramps will close while crews set overhead bridge support beams. Eastbound traffic will turn around at West Military to reach its destination. Westbound traffic will turn around at Hunt Lane to reach its destination.
• Friday, December 1 at 8 p.m. until Monday, December 4 at 5 a.m. Eastbound ramp to southbound I-410, westbound ramp to northbound I-410. The ramps will close while crews set overhead bridge support beams. Eastbound traffic will turn around at West Military to reach its destination. Westbound traffic will turn around at Hunt Lane to reach its destination.

U.S. Hwy 281 – North San Antonio

• Monday-Wednesday, November 20-22. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound frontage road at Sonterra Boulevard. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.
• Monday-Wednesday, November 20-22. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Donella Drive and Sonterra Boulevard. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe the road. This closure includes the entrance ramp from Henderson Pass. Traffic will use the entrance ramp from Sonterra Boulevard to reach its destination.
• Monday, November 27 until Friday, December 1. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes at Sonterra Boulevard. The right lane will close while crews set barrier.

Hwy 151 – Northwest San Antonio

• Current until December 22. Westbound exit to Hunt Lane. The exit will close while crews reconstruct the roadway to fit the future direct connector ramp from southbound I-410. Traffic will exit Ingram and follow the frontage road to reach its destination.
• Sunday-Wednesday, November 19-22. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound main lanes between I-410 and Potranco Road. All lanes will close while crews remove equipment and barrier from the center median area. Traffic will exit Ingram Road, follow the frontage roads and re-enter the highway after Hunt Lane.
• Monday-Wednesday, November 20-22. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Frontage roads, both directions, between Ingram and Potranco roads. The turn lanes will close while crews install foundations for pedestrian signal poles.
• Wednesday, November 27 until Friday, December 8. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound frontage road between Ingram and Potranco roads. The left lane will close while crews work on overhead highway sign support structures. This closure will not be done on Friday or Saturday nights.

Loop 1604 – Northwest San Antonio

• Current until Friday, January 26, 2018. North-to-south turnaround at Bandera Road. The turnaround will remain closed while crews do road work. Traffic will use the signalized intersection to turn around.

Other roads – Converse

• Monday-Tuesday, November 20-21. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. FM 1516, both directions, between Avenue D and Avenue F. All lanes will close while crews install a wastewater line. Traffic will use Avenue D, Station Street and Avenue F to reach its destination.

Other roads – Helotes

• Monday-Wednesday, November 20-22. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. FM 1560, both directions, between Alta Loma and Saltillo Flats. Alternating lanes will close while crews pour concrete. Traffic will be controlled by officers or flaggers.
• Current until Sunday, December 31. Bandera Road, both directions, at FM 1560. All left- and right-turn lanes will close while crews do road work. Those turning onto FM 1560 or onto Circle A Trail will do so from the through lanes of traffic. Field staff will adjust signal timing as required.

Other roads – West San Antonio

• Friday, November 17 at 9 p.m. until Monday, November 20 at 6 a.m. Marbach Road, both directions, west of Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews reconstruct the intersection. Traffic will use Emory Peak to reach its destination.
• Friday, December 1 at 9 p.m. until Monday, December 4 at 6 a.m. Marbach Road, both directions, west of Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews reconstruct the intersection. Traffic will use Emory Peak to reach its destination.
• Monday, December 4 at 9 a.m. until Friday, December 8 at 5 p.m. Westcreek Oaks Drive, both directions, at Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews construct the new southbound frontage road. Traffic will use Military Drive and Potranco Road to reach its destination.

Other roads – Northwest San Antonio

• Monday, November 20. 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Southbound Bandera Road between Legend Trail and Loop 1604. The right lane will close while crews move barrier.
• Monday-Tuesday, November 20-21. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Southbound Fredericksburg Road between West Magnolia and West Woodlawn. The right lane will close while crews do concrete work.

All closures are pending weather.

Mail Bag: new signal in New Braunfels, turnarounds at Marbach, 410-151 intersection

First, I want to say I am happy to see a traffic light at the intersection of Hwy 46 and FM 758 in New Braunfels! I travel through this intersection twice a day and it is very dangerous attempting to turn left onto 46 from FM 758. I would like to ask if we will see a flashing yellow left turn for 758 bound traffic from 46.

An instructive gif we used when we turned away
from the left turn yield on green arrangment in San Antonio.

I can already see a red left turn light there causing unnecessary congestion/delay and even making access to Clear Springs restaurant an issue for opposite 46 traffic.
- John
To paraphrase our traffic operations engineer: Yessir! This signal cycle will include a flashing yellow arrow signal. For those who don't know what that means, the flashing yellow arrow allows drivers taking a left to proceed cautiously if the coast is clear. This allows a better traffic flow and minimizes the need for long green time for a secondary movement at a signal.
Timing of the signal, once it's been installed and good to go, will be managed by our friends with the city of New Braunfels.

Closure of the turnarounds at Marbach was very bad planning. It is creating very bad traffic jams on the access roads. I can't believe this bad situation is going to last more than a year.
- Ed

We understand it's difficult, but it's necessary. With the amount of overhead work we're doing and the fact we need to work on the bridge support shelves (called abutments) it's simply impossible to keep the turnarounds open at a location like this. The closure is pretty standard for any construction of the type we're doing.
To mitigate the impact we are working with San Antonio Transportation and Capital Improvements, the city department with oversight for traffic signals and other roadway issues, to optimize the signal timing at the intersection to handle the additional traffic.
As for the duration ... well, we could have them opened back up a LOT faster if we were able to build the bridge all in one shot. That would mean, of course, fully closing I-410 for about eight months while we totally rebuilt the bridge. We'd carry all the main lanes traffic on the frontage roads through the Marbach intersection.

The last major rain event saw pretty bad puddling on the southbound I-410 exit for Hwy 151. What are you doing to fix this?
- Several

We added new asphalt to reverse the flow of water, and so far it's been working wonderfully. The water now runs to the area between the frontage road and exit ramp and drains to the north on up to Leon Creek. Barring a major rain storm, which brings puddling everywhere no matter what we do, we shouldn't see any major issues at this location as long as this temporary ramp is still in use.
Long-term, the exit ramp for Military Drive and the Westover Marketplace shopping center will move back to the north of Leon Creek. That's still on its way.

Closurepocalypse over; get ready for Closuregeddon

Last weekend we had major closures on US 90 at I-410 and on I-10 at Fair Oaks Parkway. Both went relatively smoothly (though that stretch of I-10 had a hiccup after our work was done with a big rig overturning Sunday).
If you avoided these areas per our recommendations, GREAT JOB!
Well ... we're doing it again and you probably want some information on what to expect for this weekend. We're calling it Closuregeddon, after last week's Closurepocalypse.
Here you go:

One closure we don't mention in the video you should probably take note of: I-35 between Walzem Road and Thousand Oaks. We'll have all lanes, both directions, closed Saturday (November 18) between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. This will allow crews to work on overhead highway signs. This is a closure you'll want to avoid as well.


Closure moratoriums coming
We're just putting this out there - please spread the word.
We will have NO planned construction-related closures between noon November 22 and 10 p.m. November 26. You'll also see NO planned construction-related closures between 6 a.m. December 15 and 10 p.m. January 2.

Next week's construction-related closures

I-10 – Boerne

• Wednesday-Friday, November 15-17. 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly. Westbound main lanes at Hwy 46. The right lane will close while crews resurface the road. This closure includes Exit 540 to Hwy 46. Traffic will take the next exit and turn around to reach its destination.
• Wednesday, November 15 at 9 p.m. until Thursday, November 16 at 5 a.m. Westbound main lanes at Scenic Loop Road. All lanes will close while crew move barrier. Traffic will exit Scenic Loop Road, move through the intersection and return to the main lanes.
• Thursday, November 16 at 9 p.m. until Friday, November 17 at 5 a.m. Westbound main lanes at Scenic Loop Road. The left lane will close while crews move barrier.

I-10 – Fair Oaks Ranch

• Current until Friday, December 29. Westbound frontage road at Old Fredericksburg Road. All lanes will close while crews replace drain structures. Traffic will follow the signed detour route, including a temporary route under the new overpass at Old Fredericksburg, to reach its destination.
• Saturday, November 11 at 4 a.m. until Sunday, November 12 at 6 p.m. Main lanes, both directions, at Fair Oaks Parkway. All lanes will close while crews set bridge support beams overhead. Traffic will exit Fair Oaks Parkway, continue through the intersection and re-enter the highway. No traffic will be permitted across the Fair Oaks Parkway bridge during this closure.

I-10 – Leon Springs

• Sunday-Friday, November 12-17. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Ralph Fair Road and La Cantera Parkway. Alternating lanes will close while crews set barrier.
• Monday, November 13. 9 a.m. unlit 3 p.m. East-to-west turnaround at Dominion Drive. The turnaround will close while crews work on the traffic signal control cabinet.

I-10 – East San Antonio

• Saturday, November 11 at 5 a.m. until Monday, November 13 at 5 a.m. Eastbound main lanes between Roland Road and Amanda Street. The two left lanes will close while crews repair the shoulder and left lanes.

I-35 – Schertz

• Current until October 2018. Frontage roads, both directions, at FM 1103. The right lane will close while crews replace the FM 1103 overpass bridge.

I-35 – Northeast San Antonio

• Saturday, November 18. 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. Main lanes, both directions, between Walzem Road and Randolph Boulevard. All lanes will close while crews install overhead highway signs. Northbound traffic will exit Walzem Road and southbound traffic will exit Randolph Boulevard. Both traffic directions will follow posted detour signs along the frontage road and re-enter the highway at the next available ramp.

I-35 – East San Antonio

• Current until Monday, November 27. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between George Beach and Thousand Oaks. Alternating lanes will close while crews lay asphalt.
• Saturday, November 11. 5 a.m. until 3 p.m. Northbound main lanes at New Braunfels Avenue. The right lane will close while crews work on retaining walls.

I-37 – Downtown San Antonio

• Current and continuous until Friday, December 1 at 5 p.m. Northbound exit ramp to Florida and Carolina avenues (exit 140A). The ramp will close while crews rebuild the slope near the exit. Traffic will exit Cesar Chavez (exit 140B) and turn around to reach its destination.

I-410 – West San Antonio

• Current until Wednesday, November 15. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Marbach and Hwy 151. Two right lanes will close while crews set barrier.
• Current until Wednesday, November 22. 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.
• Current until Sunday, November 26. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes and frontage roads at US Hwy 90. The right lane will close while crews work on overhead bridge support columns. This closure includes the ramp from westbound US 90. Traffic will head south to Valley Hi and turn around to reach its destination.
• Current until December 2018. Turnarounds, both directions, at Marbach Road. The turnarounds will remain closed while crews construct the new Marbach overpass bridge. Traffic will use the signalized intersection.
• Friday, November 10 at 8 p.m. until Monday, November 13 at 5 a.m. Southbound ramp to eastbound US Hwy 90, northbound ramp to westbound US Hwy 90. The ramps will close while crews set overhead bridge support beams. Southbound traffic will turn around at Valley Hi to reach its destination. Northbound traffic will turn around at Hwy 151 to reach its destination.
• Friday, November 17 at 8 p.m. until Monday, November 20 at 5 a.m. Main lanes and frontage roads, both directions, at US Hwy 90. All lanes will close while crews set steel bridge support beams overhead. This is a total closure of the highway. All traffic will exit US Hwy 90. Southbound traffic will head west to Hunt Lane, turn around and return to I-410. Northbound traffic will head east to West Military, turn around and return to I-410.

I-410 – Northwest San Antonio

• Monday-Friday, November 13-17. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Eastbound main lanes between Northwest Military and Jones-Maltsberger. Alternating lanes will close while crews install guardrail.
• Monday-Friday, November 13-17. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Eastbound frontage roads between Vance Jackson and Honeysuckle Lane. Alternating lanes will close while crews do concrete work.
• Monday-Friday, November 13-17. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Eastbound frontage roads between Airport Boulevard and Nacogdoches Road. Alternating lanes will close while crews lay asphalt. This closure includes ramps as needed.

U.S. Hwy 90 – West San Antonio

• Current until Wednesday, November 15. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound frontage road between Ray Ellison and I-410. All lanes will close while crews set bridge panels. Traffic will use Crooked Trail and the southbound frontage road of I-410 to reach its destination.
• Friday, November 10 at 8 p.m. until Monday, November 13 at 5 a.m. Main lanes and frontage roads, both directions, at I-410. All lanes will close while crews set steel bridge support beams overhead. This is a total closure of the highway. All traffic will exit I-410. Eastbound traffic will head south to Valley Hi, turn around and return to US Hwy 90. Westbound traffic will head north to Hwy 151, turn around and return to US Hwy 90.
• Monday, November 13 at 9 p.m. until Tuesday, November 14 at 5 a.m. Main lanes, both directions, at Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews set bridge support beams overhead. Traffic will exit Loop 1604, continue along the frontage road and re-enter at the next available ramp.
• Monday, November 13 until Wednesday, November 22. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes and frontage roads, both directions, between Hunt Lane and I-410. All lanes will close while welders secure the steel bridge support beams overhead. During most nights the closure will be a single direction only.
• Wednesday, November 15 until Wednesday, November 22. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily, weekdays only. Westbound frontage road between I-410 and Hunt Lane. Alternating lanes will close while crews lay asphalt.
• Friday, November 17 at 8 p.m. until Monday, November 20 at 5 a.m. Eastbound ramp to southbound I-410, westbound ramp to northbound I-410. The ramps will close while crews set overhead bridge support beams. Eastbound traffic will turn around at West Military to reach its destination. Westbound traffic will turn around at Hunt Lane to reach its destination.

U.S. Hwy 281 – North San Antonio

• No closures the week of November 12-18.
• Monday-Wednesday, November 20-22. 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Donella Drive and Sonterra Boulevard. Alternating lanes will close while crews set barrier.

Hwy 151 – Northwest San Antonio

• Current until December 22. Westbound exit to Hunt Lane. The exit will close while crews reconstruct the roadway to fit the future direct connector ramp from southbound I-410. Traffic will exit Ingram and follow the frontage road to reach its destination.

Loop 1604 – Northwest San Antonio

• Current until Friday, January 26, 2018. North-to-south turnaround at Bandera Road. The turnaround will remain closed while crews do road work. Traffic will use the signalized intersection to turn around.

Other roads – Seguin

• Tuesday, November 14. 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. The intersection of Baxter East and Austin Street. The intersection will close while crews repave the road. Traffic will follow the posted detour route.
• Wednesday, November 15. 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. The intersection of Rosemary East and Austin Street. The intersection will close while crews repave the road. Traffic will follow the posted detour route.

Other roads – New Braunfels

• Current until Friday, November 17. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Hwy 46, both directions, between FM 758 and I-35. Alternating lanes will close while crews resurface the road.

Other roads – Converse

• Wednesday-Thursday, November 15-16. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. FM 1516, both directions, between FM 78 and Converse Center Street. All lanes will close while crews install a wastewater line. Traffic will use Converse Center Street and FM 78 to reach its destination.

Other roads – Boerne

• Wednesday, November 15 at 9 p.m. until Thursday, November 16 at 5 a.m. Scenic Loop Road, both directions, at I-10. All lanes will close while crews move barrier. Traffic will use the frontage roads and the turnaround at Balcones Creek to reach its destination.

Other roads – West San Antonio

• Current until Friday, November 17. Dodge City, both directions, at Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews reconstruct the intersection. Traffic will use Emory Peak to reach its destination.
• Current until Friday, November 17. Red Musket, both directions, at Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews reconstruct the intersection. Traffic will use Spurs Ranch to reach its destination.
• Friday, November 17 at 9 p.m. until Monday, November 20 at 6 a.m. Marbach Road, both directions, west of Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews reconstruct the intersection. Traffic will use Emory Peak to reach its destination.
• Friday, December 1 at 9 p.m. until Monday, December 4 at 6 a.m. Marbach Road, both directions, west of Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews reconstruct the intersection. Traffic will use Emory Peak to reach its destination.

All closures are pending weather.

Dust and vibrations along the US 281 project

Excess dust and feeling vibrations from excavation are common occurrences near construction, but can certainly be tiresome for those directly affected. We have heard your concerns about these issues along the US 281 corridor, and we want you to know that we’re working to mitigate its effects on you.
Today we'll discuss the issues directly - including their causes - and our solutions to lessen the impact on you.

Why all the dust and vibration?
Excess dust occurs during the excavation of rock when equipment creates fine particles that could easily become airborne with wind. Simple enough, yeah?

Vibrations felt from construction are caused by heavy equipment (and even traffic) using the roadway. The majority of the US 281 roadway sits on rock bedding. Any movements or loads on the that rock bed are easily transferred creating vibrations. The closer your home is to the construction site, the more likely it is that you may feel vibrations. This gets amplified when crews start digging and milling layers of rock to develop the road bed.

How are we minimizing the impact?

Preventing the creation of excess dust - dust abatement - is a priority on all our projects. There are several ways we can do this, and we are not limiting ourselves to just one. For instance, running extra water trucks along the site to moisturize the soil keep it from kicking up with wind has been somewhat effective. We use non-potable water wherever possible for this. Our construction crews and project team will also monitor wind speeds and directions prior to and during work to avoid sending dust downwind.
As for vibration ... well, we've already had Webber move some of its work to crush rock pulled from the ground away from sensitive work area. You should know we will not use any blasting techniques to break rock along the US 281 corridor as part of this project. Unfortunately, some of the vibration that will come when we use compactors to harden the layers of the roadway are going to be unavoidable.

When will these problems go away?

Once the US 281 frontage roads are complete – late 2018 - most concerns related to excess dust and vibration along the corridor should subside. At that point traffic will move outward, onto the new frontage road lanes, and construction activity will move to the main lanes area minimizing the chance of feeling vibrations. While the next phase of work on the project will still include activities causing vibration, those impacts will be way less than what you're feeling now. Since that stage of work involves significantly less excavation we also minimize the potential for construction-related dust.

Your takeaway

First of all ... we get it! We're hearing about the concerns and we want you to know these issues are a routine conversation on this project. Webber and our project management team continually work to mitigate construction-related impacts on those who live, work and play in the area.
If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Clearing the way for I-10 HOV lanes

We are only about eight weeks into work and the footprint of the future HOV lanes is already taking shape behind the concrete barriers.

The dirt work happening now to the inside of both the eastbound and westbound lanes really shows how the HOV lanes will fit into the I-10 corridor. If everything goes as planned these lanes will become available for use in a little more than a year, providing immediate relief for drivers along this increasingly congested corridor.
Not all our work is limited to the inside area of the HOV lanes, though. On the northern end of the project, near Ralph Fair Road, Flatiron Construction is building the foundation to extend the box culverts that will support the additional highway lanes. When we're all done that culvert will be eight boxes wide!

Work on the outside lines not near Ralph Fair Road is intended to develop a temporary bit of asphalt so we can shift traffic over and give crews more room to build those HOV lanes. This is pretty common for expansion projects like this.
Through Thanksgiving work will continue on the culvert extension and on bridge support columns. Expect lane closures nightly, Sunday nights through Thursday nights, with no closures on Fridays or Saturdays. During the week of Thanksgiving crews will skip Wednesday night and Thursday night but return to action Friday night, November 24th.
Be sure to check back after Thanksgiving for another look-ahead on what to expect during your daily or nightly commute.

Steel beams to be set over I-410 ... at US 90

Williams Brothers Construction will place steel bridge beams over I-410 at US Hwy 90 over the next two weekends, requiring a near complete shut-down of the busy interchange each weekend.
The beams will form the future eastbound Loop 1604 ramp to northbound I-410.
There's no quick-and-easy explanation of these closures, so we'll be very deliberate covering each direction. Please pay attention to the specific direction you may be traveling (look for a video of this next week).

Nov. 10-13 closure
Beginning Friday, November 10 at 8 p.m. all lanes - frontage road and main lanes - of US Hwy 90 will close at I-410. The main lanes of I-410 will not be affected.

• Eastbound traffic will take southbound I-410 to Valley Hi, turn around and return to US Hwy 90.
• Westbound traffic will take northbound I-410 to Hwy 151, turn around and return to US Hwy 90.
• Southbound I-410 traffic to westbound US 90 will not be affected.
• Southbound I-410 traffic to eastbound US 90 will exit Valley Hi, turn around and return to US 90 via the northbound frontage road of I-410.
• Northbound I-410 traffic to eastbound US 90 will not be affected.
• Northbound I-410 traffic to westbound US 90 will exit Hwy 151, turn around and return to US 90 via the southbound main lanes and frontage roads.
• All other directions will follow their normal paths.

All lanes will be reopened by 5 a.m. November 13.

Nov. 17-20 closure
Beginning Friday, November 17 at 8 p.m. all lanes - frontage road and main lanes - of I-410 will close at US Hwy 90. The main lanes of US 90 will not be affected.

• Southbound traffic will exit westbound US Hwy 90 to Hunt Lane, turn around and return to I-410.
• Northbound traffic will exit eastbound US Hwy 90 to Military Drive, turn around and return to I-410.
• Eastbound US 90 traffic to northbound I-410 will exit Military Drive, turn around and return to I-410 via the frontage road.
• Westbound US 90 traffic to southbound I-410 will exit Hunt lane, turn around and return to I-410 via the frontage road.
• Southbound I-410 traffic to eastbound US 90 will exit US 90 west and turn around at Hunt Lane.
• Northbound I-410 traffic to westbound US 90 will exit US 90 east and turn around at Military Drive.

All lanes will be reopened by 5 a.m. November 20.

Overnight work, too
The steel beams, once set, will need to be welded into place and have the temporary bracings removed. This will take about a month to accomplish with overnight closures employed to get the job done. These closures will be confined to the main lanes and be in one direction only, with the exception of two or three nights of work over the heart of US 90 and another two or three nights of work over the heart of I-410.
The nights with full closures in both directions will be announced via social media as they are scheduled.
As a rule of thumb, expect closures on US 90 every night between November 13-22 and November 27-30. Expect the same activity on I-410 between November 29 and December 22. If you noted the dates overlap a bit, let us put your mind at ease: we will NOT close both US 90 and I-410 at this location simultaneously.

Next week's construction-related closures

I-10 – Fair Oaks Ranch

• Current until Friday, December 29. Westbound frontage road at Old Fredericksburg Road. All lanes will close while crews replace drain structures. Traffic will follow the signed detour route, including a temporary route under the new overpass at Old Fredericksburg, to reach its destination.
• Saturday, November 11 at 4 a.m. until Sunday, November 12 at 6 p.m. Main lanes, both directions, at Fair Oaks Parkway. All lanes will close while crews set bridge support beams overhead. Traffic will exit Fair Oaks Parkway, continue through the intersection and re-enter the highway. No traffic will be permitted across the Fair Oaks Parkway bridge during this closure.

I-10 – Leon Springs

• Sunday-Tuesday, November 5-7. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Westbound main lanes between Ralph Fair Road and La Cantera Parkway. Alternating lanes will close while crews restripe the road.
• Wednesday-Friday, November 8-10. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between Ralph Fair Road and La Cantera Parkway. Alternating lanes will close while crews stripe the road.

I-35 – Selma

• Current until October 2018. Frontage roads, both directions, at FM 1103. The right lane will close while crews replace the FM 1103 overpass bridge.

I-35 – Northeast San Antonio

• Saturday, November 18. 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. Main lanes, both directions, between Walzem Road and Randolph Boulevard. All lanes will close while crews install overhead highway signs. Northbound traffic will exit Walzem Road and southbound traffic will exit Randolph Boulevard. Both traffic directions will follow posted detour signs along the frontage road and re-enter the highway at the next available ramp.

I-35 – East San Antonio

• Current until Monday, November 27. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Main lanes, both directions, between George Beach and Thousand Oaks. Alternating lanes will close while crews lay asphalt.

I-37 – Downtown San Antonio

• Current and continuous until Friday, December 1 at 5 p.m. Northbound exit ramp to Florida and Carolina avenues (exit 140A). The ramp will close while crews rebuild the slope near the exit. Traffic will exit Cesar Chavez (exit 140B) and turn around to reach its destination.

I-410 – West San Antonio

• Current until Wednesday, November 15. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes between Marbach and Hwy 151. Two right lanes will close while crews set barrier.
• Current until Wednesday, November 22. 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.
• Current until Sunday, November 26. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Northbound main lanes and frontage roads at US Hwy 90. The right lane will close while crews work on overhead bridge support columns. This closure includes the ramp from westbound US 90. Traffic will head south to Valley Hi and turn around to reach its destination.
• Current until December 2018. Turnarounds, both directions, at Marbach Road. The turnarounds will remain closed while crews construct the new Marbach overpass bridge. Traffic will use the signalized intersection.
• Friday, November 10 at 8 p.m. until Monday, November 13 at 5 a.m. Southbound ramp to eastbound US Hwy 90, northbound ramp to westbound US Hwy 90. The ramps will close while crews set overhead bridge support beams. Southbound traffic will turn around at Valley Hi to reach its destination. Northbound traffic will turn around at Hwy 151 to reach its destination.
• Friday, November 17 at 8 p.m. until Monday, November 20 at 5 a.m. Main lanes and frontage roads, both directions, at US Hwy 90. All lanes will close while crews set steel bridge support beams overhead. This is a total closure of the highway. All traffic will exit US Hwy 90. Southbound traffic will head west to Hunt Lane, turn around and return to I-410. Northbound traffic will head east to West Military, turn around and return to I-410.

U.S. Hwy 90 – West San Antonio

• Current until Wednesday, November 15. 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Eastbound frontage road between Ray Ellison and I-410. All lanes will close while crews set bridge panels. Traffic will use Crooked Trail and the southbound frontage road of I-410 to reach its destination.
• Friday, November 10 at 8 p.m. until Monday, November 13 at 5 a.m. Main lanes and frontage roads, both directions, at I-410. All lanes will close while crews set steel bridge support beams overhead. This is a total closure of the highway. All traffic will exit I-410. Eastbound traffic will head south to Valley Hi, turn around and return to US Hwy 90. Westbound traffic will head north to Hwy 151, turn around and return to US Hwy 90.
• Friday, November 17 at 8 p.m. until Monday, November 20 at 5 a.m. Eastbound ramp to southbound I-410, westbound ramp to northbound I-410. The ramps will close while crews set overhead bridge support beams. Eastbound traffic will turn around at West Military to reach its destination. Westbound traffic will turn around at Hunt Lane to reach its destination.

U.S. Hwy 281 – North San Antonio

• No scheduled closures November 5-12.

Hwy 151 – Northwest San Antonio

• Current until December 22. Westbound exit to Hunt Lane. The exit will close while crews reconstruct the roadway to fit the future direct connector ramp from southbound I-410. Traffic will exit Ingram and follow the frontage road to reach its destination.
• Monday-Friday, November 6-10. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Eastbound main lanes between Potranco Road and I-410. The auxiliary lane used by the entrance ramp from Potranco will close while crews move barrier. This closure includes the entrance ramp. Traffic will continue along the frontage road and use the next available ramp.
• Thursday, November 9. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Westbound main lanes between Potranco Road and Military Drive. The right lane will close while crews pour concrete at Hunt Lane.

Loop 1604 – Northwest San Antonio

• Current until Friday, January 26, 2018. North-to-south turnaround at Bandera Road. The turnaround will remain closed while crews do road work. Traffic will use the signalized intersection to turn around.

Other roads – New Braunfels

• Sunday, November 5 at 8 p.m. until Monday, November 6 at 6 a.m. Hwy 46, both directions, between FM 758 and Mary Lane. Traffic will be reduced to a single lane, controlled by flaggers, while crews mill the road.
• Monday, November 6 until Friday, November 17. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Hwy 46, both directions, between FM 758 and I-35. Alternating lanes will close while crews resurface the road.

Other roads – Converse

• Wednesday-Thursday, November 15-16. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. FM 1516, both directions, between FM 78 and Converse Center Street. All lanes will close while crews install a wastewater line. Traffic will use Converse Center Street and FM 78 to reach its destination.

Other roads – Helotes

• Monday-Tuesday, November 6-7. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. FM 1560, both directions, between Alta Loma and Saltillo Flats. Alternating lanes will close while crews set bridge beams. Traffic will be controlled by officers or flaggers.
• Monday-Friday, November 6-10. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Hwy 16, both directions, at FM 1560. Alternating lanes will close while crews install support structures.

Other roads – West San Antonio

• Current until Friday, November 17. Dodge City, both directions, at Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews reconstruct the intersection. Traffic will use Emory Peak to reach its destination.
• Current until Friday, November 17. Red Musket, both directions, at Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews reconstruct the intersection. Traffic will use Spurs Ranch to reach its destination.
• Monday-Friday, November 6-10. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Hunt Lane, both directions, at Hwy 151. The right lane will close while crews do overhead bridge work.
• Friday, November 17 at 9 p.m. until Monday, November 20 at 6 a.m. Marbach Road, both directions, west of Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews reconstruct the intersection. Traffic will use Emory Peak to reach its destination.
• Friday, December 1 at 9 p.m. until Monday, December 4 at 6 a.m. Marbach Road, both directions, west of Loop 1604. All lanes will close while crews reconstruct the intersection. Traffic will use Emory Peak to reach its destination.

All closures are pending weather.

Hwy 46 getting a new road surface next few weeks

If your commute in New Braunfels includes Hwy 46 between I-35 and FM 758 expect minor delays due to construction between November 6 and November 17.


What/When
Overnight closures of the middle portion of Hwy 46 between I-35 and FM 758 tomorrow (Thursday) night, Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday night. Each night crews will begin about 8 p.m. and will be cleared out by 6 a.m. each morning.
Daytime closures of alternating lanes on Hwy 46 between I-35 and FM 758 begin Monday, November 6 and will run through Friday, November 17. Work will begin 9 a.m. and wrap up by 4 p.m. each day.
During the daytime closures we will make sure we have one lane open in each direction. The last few days of this closure will be a "rolling" closure, with crews slowly progressing along the route.


Why/How

We are resurfacing Hwy 46, and we're almost done with the work we've been tackling out there the last few months. The overnight work will let us mill the middle of the road to just about match what's out there on the rest of the road right now.
The daytime work will allow asphalt crews to do their thing. The top layer of asphalt we're laying is a fairly thin layer of specialized surface asphalt. Because of the way it's made up and because of how thin it is, we have to have temperatures of 70 degrees and rising. This pretty much prevents us from doing work overnight this time of the year.
Once pavers are done with their work a striping crew will follow to set lane markers.


By the way

A new traffic signal on Hwy 46 at FM 758 will be installed November 6. It should only take a day to install, so if you drive through the area expect to see those flashing beacons replaced by a full signal during your evening commute.
If something pops up to delay us at all, that signal will be in action by November 7.
Ordinarily we put new signals on "flash" mode to drum up awareness of the signal. In this case, since a beacon already exists at this spot, we're going to go ahead and immediately turn the signal on with full functionality.