Location: Loop 1604 between Bandera Rd. (SH 16) and Hausman Rd.

Description
This is actually two separate projects that will modify the entrance and exit ramps along Loop 1604 between Bandera Rd. and Hausman Rd. The first project, which should start in early 2019, will reverse the eastbound ramps, i.e. the existing entrance ramp from Bandera will be switched to become the exit ramp for Hausman, and the existing exit for Hausman will switched to become the entrance from Bandera.

The second project, currently anticipated to start in late 2019 or 2020, will convert the westbound exit to Bandera to a two-lane exit ramp and construct an auxiliary lane on westbound 1604 from the Hausman entrance ramp to the Bandera exit.

While these are relatively small projects, they should make an appreciable improvement; see below for an explanation why.

CURRENT RAMP ARRANGEMENT

PLANNED RAMP ARRANGEMENT

How this project will help
Moving the Bandera entrance ramp will provide more storage area for the traffic that frequently backs-up from that ramp into the Bandera/1604 intersection during the morning rush hour. It will also provide better access to Loop 1604 from the HEB and apartments along the access road. The relocated Hausman exit ramp will provide better access to Farris Stadium.

On the westbound side, the expanded Bandera exit ramp will provide extra capacity for the heavy volume of traffic that exits there. Most especially, the auxiliary lane should help to alleviate the chronic afternoon congestion on westbound Loop 1604 that occurs at the Hausman entrance by providing additional capacity and merging room between those two ramps. This is being done as a short-term fix until a larger expansion project starts in a few years.