An expansion of
Loop 1604 from Bandera Rd. to I‑35 North has
been in the works since the beginning of this century.
Due to severe funding limitations for much of the past two decades,
those expansion plans necessarily included tolled lanes. A series of
issues over the years delayed the project. Recently, increases
in
state funding and the deprecation
of tolling statewide have resulted in the toll component of
this
expansion being removed. Instead,
plans now are to expand Loop 1604 by adding
two non-tolled general-purpose lanes and one HOV lane in each
direction. This project will also replace the
obsolete cloverleaf interchange at I‑10.
Below
is complete information about the latest status of this project.
This massive
$1.3
billion project will expand
Loop 1604 from
Bandera Rd. to I‑35 to four general-purpose non-tolled freeway
lanes in
each
direction plus an HOV lane in each direction. Note that
some sections may have three, five, or six general-purpose
lanes depending on
the traffic volume, geometry, or available right-of-way at that
particular location,
but typically the corridor will have four
general-purpose through lanes each way.
Planned typical cross-section for
Loop 1604 from Bandera to I‑35
The project will also replace the overburdened and obsolete
I‑10/Loop 1604 cloverleaf
with
a fully-directional "stack" or "web" interchange. Earlier
funding was only sufficient for the first two
flyovers in the new interchange. However, the
Texas Transportation Commission approved additional funding in August
2019 to complete the entire interchange in a single project. The
proximity of the interchange flyover terminals to nearby exits will
require a complete re-working of nearly all of the entrance and exit
ramps in the vicinity.
Rendering of planned
I‑10/Loop
1604 interchange (Courtesy of TxDOT)
Plans
also
call for the lower-level signalized access road intersections at that
interchange to be replaced with a unique intersection consisting of
four partial roundabouts-- or one large stretched roundabout, depending
on how you look at it-- that engineers have nicknamed "the fidget
spinner." While there are other places with a series of roundabouts
or partial roundabouts, this is believed to be the first intersection
with this specific configuration. Two sets of elevated
collector-distributor roads on I‑10 and on Loop 1604 will allow access
road traffic headed straight through the interchange to completely
bypass the lower-level intersections. A rebuilt VIA Park & Ride
will
remain in the middle of the fidget-spinner.
prj-sh151-exp
Schematic of
lower-level "fidget
spinner" intersection Blue
line shows the path for a north-to-west left turn. Outer right-turn
lanes and turnarounds, both of which bypass the partial roundabouts,
are indicated. Not shown are the planned access road bypass flyovers,
which will allow access
road traffic going straight through to pass over the fidget spinner and
bypass it entirely.
New
interchange connectors at
I‑35 will be built as part of the I‑35 Northeast Expansion
(NEX)
project. The improvements east of Nacogdoches Rd. built as part of this
project are designed to integrate with those connectors.
Finally,
this project will make numerous entrance and exit ramp revisions and
access
road improvements. One of the more notable ramp improvements will be to
add a dedicated westbound exit ramp to Hausman Rd. and a dedicated
eastbound entrance ramp from Hausman Rd. The locations of the
touch-down points for the elevated connectors in the revamped I‑10/Loop
1604 interchange will also necessitate several ramp changes on both
Loop 1604 and on I‑10 in the vicinity of the interchange in order to
reduce conflicts and smooth-out traffic flow.
This
project-- quite remarkably-- will be built almost entirely within the
existing
right-of-way. This is because planners in the past acquired
enough
right-of-way for this eventuality.
Funding
and contracting
constraints will require the project to be divided into
multiple phases. The first three phases from Bandera Rd. to US 281 are
fully funded including funding through the Texas Clear Lanes project,
an initiative of the Texas Transportation Commission to help advance
projects to reduce congestion in the state's five major
metro areas. The remainder of the expansion from US 281 to I‑35 is broken into three phases with tentative funding identified.
Phase
1: Bandera Rd. to I‑10
Status: Construction
underway (61% complete)
Timeline: Construction
started in May 2021 and is expected to be completed in late 2024
Construction
cost:
About $150 million
This
phase will include the following major components:
Eight non-tolled
general-purpose freeway lanes (i.e. four in
each direction) between Hauman and I-10 plus auxiliary lanes; with the
auxiliary lanes, much of this stretch will actually
have five general-purpose lanes in each direction.
Two future
high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes (i.e.
one in
each direction) between Hausman and I‑10; the
pavement for the
HOV lanes will be laid, but they will not be marked and will be
barricaded until the interchange at I-10 is complete. This is because
it is not
feasible to provide a proper transition area for the ends of the HOV
lanes near I‑10 for the short period between when this project is
completed and when the interchange will be completed.
A
new westbound exit ramp to Hausman Rd. and a new eastbound
entrance ramp from Hausman Rd.
Ramp
reversals westbound between Hausman Rd. and Bandera Rd.; the new
Bandera
Rd. exit will be two lanes.
Ramp
reversals in both directions between Babcock Rd. and Kyle Seale Pkwy;
the new westbound exit to Kyle Seale Pkwy. and the new eastbound exit
to Babcock will be two lanes.
The
westbound exit to Babcock Rd. will be closed due to the proximity of
the new flyovers from I‑10. Traffic on westbound Loop
1604 to the east of I‑10 wanting to reach Babcock will exit near I‑10
and continue on the access road and a new access road bypass that
passes over the La Cantera Blvd. and Chase Hill Blvd. intersections.
Traffic on I‑10 wanting to reach Babcock will have to exit onto the
I‑10 access road before reaching Loop 1604 and travel under the
interchange, then proceed on the
Loop 1604 access road as discussed above.
Stubs
for the two future new interchange flyovers connecting to Loop
1604 west of I‑10 will be built. Given the timing of the interchange
project (Phase 3 below), they will probably only be stubs for a short
period of time.
High-mast
lighting along the entire stretch.
Updated TransGuide equipment, including full-color dynamic message signs.
Phase
2: I‑10 to US 281
Status: Construction
underway (38% complete)
Timeline: Construction
stared in November 2021 and is expected be completed in mid 2025
Construction
cost:
About $234 million
Note:
TxDOT refers to this as "Segment 3" because it's physically the third
project from west to east, but I'm calling it "Phase 2" since it was
the second to start construction.
This
phase will include the following major components:
Eight
new non-tolled general-purpose freeway lanes (i.e. four in
each direction) plus auxiliary lanes from I-10 to US 281.
Two new high-occupancy
vehicle (HOV) lanes (i.e.
one in
each direction) from I‑10 to Blanco Rd.;
the
pavement for the
HOV lanes will be laid, but they will not be marked and will be
barricaded until the interchange at I-10 is complete. This is because
it is not
feasible to provide a proper transition area for the ends of the HOV
lanes near I‑10 for the short period between when this project is
completed and when the interchange will be completed.
The
existing eastbound Lockhill-Selma Rd. exit will be removed and the
eastbound access road entrance ramp near I‑10 will be moved that
location. Eastbound Loop 1604 traffic wanting to reach Lockhill-Selma
will exit near I‑10 at a new ramp for both it and Vance-Jackson.
Traffic on I‑10 wanting to reach Lockhill-Selma will have to exit on
the I‑10 access road and use the Loop 1604 access road to reach
Lockhill-Selma. This is because the flyovers from I‑10 will not enter
Loop 1604 until just east of Lockhill-Selma.
The
Tradesman Dr. overpass will be removed. This is because it would need
to be extended and there was insufficient traffic to warrant the cost.
A new westbound to eastbound turnaround will be built at Vance-Jackson
to help facilitate traffic headed to Tradesman.
The
westbound exit to Lockhill-Selma will be relocated to the same location
as the current entrance ramp from NW Military Hwy. and the two ramps
will be "braided". This relocation is necessary to smooth traffic flow
and better accommodate the elevation differences on the approach to the
new I‑10 flyovers.
The
existing westbound entrance ramp from Rogers Ranch Pkwy./Bitters Rd.
will be relocated further east to the current location of the NW
Military Hwy. exit, and the exit will then be moved further east to
just before Salado Creek. As with the previous bullet, this is to help
smooth the traffic flow approaching the new I‑10 exit.
A
Diverging Diamond Interchange will be built at Blanco Rd. This will
include the construction of collector-distributor roads alongside Loop
1604 between Huebner Rd. and Stone Oak Pkwy. and associated ramp
changes. See the Loop
1604 at Blanco Rd. project page for more details
on this component of the project.
At
the eastern end of this phase,the eastbound mainlanes will narrow from
four general-purpose lanes to three shortly before reaching the Stone
Oak Pkwy. overpass. A fourth mainlane (auxiliary lane) will then be
added to the right side from the entrance ramp from Blanco Rd. at the
Stone Oak Pkwy. overpass. The two right lanes will then become
exit-only lanes to US 281.
On
the westbound side, two lanes will enter from US 281 joining the
existing two mainlanes coming through the interchange. The far right
lane coming from US 281 will merge to the left leaving three through
lanes. An auxiliary lane will be briefly added to the right side from
the entrance ramp prior to Stone Oak Pkwy. before dropping off at the
exit to Blanco Rd./Huebner Rd. just past the Stone Oak Pkwy. overpass.
A fourth mainlane will then be added to the left side just past the
Blanco/Hueber exit.
Stubs
for the two future new interchange flyovers connecting to Loop
1604 east of I‑10 will be built. Given the timing of the interchange
project (Phase 3 below), they will probably only be stubs for a short
period of time.
Unlike
the I-10 to Bandera Rd. segment that will feature high-mast lighting,
this section will have conventional double-sided mast-arm street lights
on the center barrier.
Updated TransGuide equipment, including full-color dynamic message signs.
Phase 3: Loop 1604/I‑10 interchange
Status: Under
construction (21% complete)
Timeline: Construction
started in July 2022 and is expected be completed in mid 2027
Construction
cost: About $407 million
Note:
TxDOT refers to this as "Segment 2" because it's
physically the second
project from west to east, but I'm calling it "Phase 3" since it was
the third to start construction.
This
phase will include the following major components:
All
eight new flyover direct-connectors between I‑10 and Loop 1604. The
existing cloverleaf interchange will be demolished. (The top
two flyovers will be about 130' above the ground!)
Flyover
access road bypasses on both I‑10 and Loop 1604. These will allow
through traffic on the access roads to bypass the lower level
intersections.
Replacement
of the lower level signalized access road intersections with a
continuous flow intersection consisting of four partial roundabouts
("fidget spinner".)
New
access road turnarounds for both directions of I‑10.
Relocation
of the westbound exit to La Cantera Blvd. including an intersection
flyover bypass at La Cantera Blvd.
Reconstruction
of the VIA Park & Ride.
The
eastbound exit to UTSA Blvd. will be removed due to its proximity to
the new entrance from Loop 1604. Traffic on I‑10 wanting to reach UTSA
Blvd. will exit at a new exit in the Loop 1604 interchange and continue
on the access road. Traffic on Loop 1604 wanting to reach UTSA Blvd.
will have to exit onto the access road on Loop 1604, then continue on
the I‑10 access road.
The
westbound entrance ramp from UTSA Blvd. will be removed. Traffic
wanting to enter I‑10
or Loop 1604 will continue on the access roads to the next available
entrance ramp. This is necessary to smooth traffic flow on the
approach to the new Loop 1604 exit, which will be located closer to
UTSA Blvd. than the current one.
The
westbound entrance ramp from De Zavala Rd. will be slightly relocated
and lengthened.
Six
general-purpose freeway mainlanes (i.e. three in each direction) will
be carried through the interchange on both I-10 and Loop 1604 and I-10
will have extra pavement in its median for a future extension of the
HOV lane south from its current terminus near La Cantera Blvd.
Future phases
The
remainder of the expansion from US 281 to I‑35 is
currently broken into three segments with the following tentative start
dates:
Phase
4: US 281 to Red Land Rd. - Late 2023
Phase
5: Red Land Rd. to Judson Rd. - Late 2028
Phase
6: Judson Rd. to I-35 - Late 2028
Phases 5 and 6 currently have the same tentative
start date, but one of those may change depending on future funding
availability.
How
this project will help
As
anyone who
regularly drives Loop 1604 knows, this corridor
experiences frequently-recurring congestion due to
traffic volumes regularly exceeding the capacity of the road. Adding
additional lanes provides the obvious benefit of increasing capacity
and thus reducing congestion. Modeling shows that when the project is
complete around 2025, the corridor should experience continuous
free-flow
conditions, including during morning and evening peak periods (barring
incidents,
of course.)
Projections
for 2045 show that traffic volumes will nearly double. Even so, the
modeling shows that by 2045 with the planned expansion, the corridor
should still generally see
travel times of 25-30% below than today's with the exception being the
eastbound morning peak, which could again be at or near current travel
times.
However, that travel time modeling is for the entire corridor
end-to-end; localized sections should
still see improved travel times.
HOV
lanes are now being added to major freeway expansion projects in San
Antonio where
feasible. The intent is to encourage carpooling and use of mass
transit. Each person that opts to do so is one less vehicle on the
freeway, which helps to reduce congestion and pollution for everyone.
Furthermore, HOV lanes help to "future-proof" a corridor by building-in
lanes today that can someday be used for new transportation options
such as
autonomous vehicles. For more
information about local HOV lanes, see the HOV lanes page.
The
current cloverleaf at I‑10 is obsolete and unable to handle current
traffic loads. Cloverleafs in general are now considered passé in heavy
traffic areas as they simply cannot handle contemporary traffic
volumes, and nearly all existing cloverleafs in San Antonio are being
replaced. Additionally, the weaving maneuvers in a cloverleaf are a
safety issue. The new "stack" or "web" interchange here should fully
alleviate those issues.
The "fidget spinner" intersection below
the I‑10 interchange will remove the signalized intersections there and
should provide a more continuous flow of traffic. A traffic study
showed that much of the traffic using the current "box" intersection
there was doing so to avoid congestion above, so when the new
interchange is complete, the traffic volumes in the lower-level
intersections should be appreciably reduced, and modeling shows the
partial roundabouts should be able to handle the expected
traffic
there more efficiently than signals. The new intersections will also be
better positioned to accommodate the driveways in the immediate
vicinity.
Finally, the various ramp revisions along the route should provide
better traffic flow between the mainlanes and access roads.
Schematics
Click
on one of the letters on the image below to open the
detailed schematic for that section of the project. The base
schematics are from TxDOT with my own annotations added to
help clarify
and
explain the various elements. Each schematic will
open in a new window that you can scroll and zoom.
Changes
to Phase 1
These
are the schematics presented to the public in September 2020. However, the construction bid
plans for the
Bandera to I‑10 segment show some
significant changes from the schematics here. Most
of the
changes are at the southwestern end of the project and are
shown
in
blue annotations on the "A" schematic, and a snippet from the bid plans
that shows the changes is included. Here is a summary of the major
differences:
The
mainlane widening was originally proposed to begin/end just south
of Bandera Rd. However, that has now been moved to just south
of
Hausman, i.e. the mainlanes will remain mostly as they are today south
of Hausman.
The eastbound
access road between Bandera and Hausman were planned to be widened,
but that has been dropped for now, and the westbound access road will
be expanded to three lanes instead of four.
The
HOV lanes on this segment will not be opened as part this project. The
pavement for the
lanes will be laid, but the lanes will not be marked and will be
barricaded until the later phases are complete. This is because it is
not
feasible to provide a proper transition area for the ends of the HOV
lanes near I‑10 for the short period between when this project is
completed and when the interchange will be completed.
Notes
for Phase 2
These
are the schematics for the entire "master plan"
between Bandera Rd. and I-35. However, because the section from US 281
to I-35 will be built later, the widening done in Phase 2 will need to
taper in order to transition to the existing four-lane section of 1604
east of US 281;
this tapering will happen in the vicinity of the Stone Oak Pkwy.
overpass (details discussed in the "Phase 2" section above), so the
lane configurations between Stone Oak Pkwy. and US 281 shown in the
schematic below will be built as part of the future US 281 to I-35
phase(s).
Also, as with Phase 1, the HOV
lanes on this segment will not be opened as part this project. The
pavement for the
lanes will be laid, but the lanes will not be marked and will be
barricaded until later phases are complete. This is because it is not
feasible to provide a proper transition area for the ends of the HOV
lanes near I‑10 for the short period between when this project is
completed and when the interchange will be completed.
Click
on one of the letters on the image above to open the
detailed schematic for that section
Videos
I
put together some videos that
discuss Phases 1 and 2 in-depth including a virtual flyover where I
explain the new lane and ramp configurations:
Will
this project be tolled? No. Although earlier versions of this project proposed
adding
two managed
toll lanes in each direction,
funding was secured to remove the toll component. Instead, two
non-tolled mainlanes in each direction plus an HOV lane will
be
added.
Why
didn't they originally build Loop 1604
between
Bandera and I‑35 with more than four lanes? The
current Loop
1604 between I‑10 and I‑35 was
planned 35 years ago to upgrade the two-lane farm
road there at that time to the four-lane freeway that's there today-- a
dramatic increase
in capacity. Loop 1604 between Bandera and I‑10 was planned
around 1990 and also was an upgrade from a two-lane farm road.
When planning a road, engineers look at the projected traffic volumes
about 20 years out, and
in both cases, those projections showed that four lanes would be
sufficient.
Indeed, significant recurring traffic congestion didn't develop until
the 15 to 20 year mark, which shows the validity of the planning done.
An expansion has been in the works for about two decades now but has
been
delayed (see
next point.) Twenty years is the accepted planning horizon because
that's the length of
time before a road will need major repairs and upgrades simply due to
age (i.e. the road's expected lifespan), and because that's the length
of time that any traffic projections can be considered even remotely
reasonable. Nobody has a crystal ball, so traffic
projections are "educated guesses" based on past growth and the
best data available for future development in an area,
and road capacity is always theoretical-- many other factors other than
just the number of lanes affect congestion levels. But as
a steward of taxpayer dollars, TxDOT cannot spend more than they can
empirically justify, a policy I'm sure most
taxpayers support to prevent "pork" projects. And spending on
extra lanes that may or may not be needed in
the future takes away funding for other needed projects.
Why
haven't they added more lanes to Loop
1604 North before now? Don't they know how bad the traffic is? Plans
have been in the works to expand Loop 1604 from Bandera to
I‑35 for two decades. However, such an expansion is a very expensive
project--
approaching $1 billion. Due to substantial funding shortages that began
in the
early 2000s, TxDOT was required to incorporate tolling to pay for mega
projects like this. With local
opposition to tolling and the melodrama over a similar plan on US 281
that
delayed that project for over a decade, the
plan for 1604 has had to be reworked several times. Additionally,
because of the
project's location over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, an extensive
and lengthy environmental study was undertaken. With new
funding mechanisms now in place and tolling deprecated, the toll
component was removed from the project, which required
the project to be redesigned yet one more time.
What are the green slats on top
of the center barrier between Babcock and Hausman?
These are anti-glare screens and are there to block the headlight glare
from oncoming vehicles.
Anti-glare
screen atop center barrier near Babcock Rd.
Project
history
In
the mid to
late '80s and early '90s, Loop 1604 was upgraded from a two-lane farm
road to a
four-lane freeway between I‑10 West and I‑35 North. Subsequent
projects in the early and mid '90s extended the freeway to
Kitty Hawk Rd. on the
east and to Braun Rd. on the west. Since that time, a
tremendous amount development has taken place along the 1604 corridor,
and traffic counts all along 1604 have increased
dramatically. In
fact, 13 of the top 20 locations for traffic growth in Bexar
County between 1990 and
2016 were
along
1604 North, with the location just north of Bandera Rd. showing growth
of almost
1000%.
Meanwhile, Loop 1604 has struggled to keep up with the explosion of
traffic. Several upgrades to the western section south of Braun Rd.
have
been
completed since 1999. However, plans to expand the northern arc from
Bandera Rd. to I‑35 North have been stalled for several reasons
including insufficient
funding and delays
to required environmental studies. Below is a more
in-depth history of the various machinations this project has gone
through.
Loop
1604 earmarked for managed
lanes
The first expansion plans for Loop 1604 North were developed around
2000. However, in
the early 2000s, construction costs experienced a sudden, staggering
increase. This resulted in severe funding shortages for highways.
Officials sought new methods for funding, with tolling becoming the
main new tool. To that end, the
Texas
Transportation Commission (TTC), at the governor's behest, ordered in
December 2003 that "controlled-access
mobility projects in any phase of development or construction must be
evaluated for tolling. This includes new location facilities
and
increased capacity projects such as adding additional main lanes or
constructing new main lanes." This order compelled
TxDOT to evaluate all planned Loop 1604 freeway projects for possible
tolling. The evaluation showed that the anticipated traffic
volumes along 1604 made it viable for tolling, so per the TTC's order,
the projects were reclassified as toll projects, and plans were made to
incorporate managed lanes into the designs for an expansion from
Culebra
Rd. to I‑35 North. This, along with a project on US 281 North, would
constitute a local toll "starter system."
What is a managed lane?
A
managed lane
is a lane where the operational strategies of the
lane are adjusted in real-time to ensure that the lane
remains
free-flowing, thus providing for a guaranteed travel time for users of
the lane. For example, toll rates or vehicle occupancy
requirements may fluctuate based on
traffic
conditions or time of day. Typically, managed lanes
allow
toll-free access for buses, carpools, and emergency vehicles while
single-occupancy vehicles (i.e. solo drivers) can use the lane by
paying a variable-rate toll.
How
is this beneficial? Besides providing a clear way for public
transportation and emergency vehicles and encouraging carpooling, it
also gives solo commuters who want
or need to get where they're going faster an opportunity to
bypass congestion by paying a toll to use any excess capacity
of
the lane. Every motorist who opts to do so removes one more vehicle
from
the toll-free lanes which can help ease congestion. The
resulting toll revenue
helps to subsidize for the road, saving scarce tax dollars for other
needed
projects.
Cintra-Zachary proposal
In
2005, a
consortium consisting of local construction giant Zachary and the
Spanish infrastructure company Cintra, which were working together on a
bid to construct one of the now-defunct Trans
Texas Corridor projects, submitted an
unsolicited bid to TxDOT to build the Loop 1604 and US 281 toll
projects in return for a 50-year
lease to
operate them. Because the bid had merit, TxDOT was
required to fully evaluate it and
then to accept any other bids for the projects. The Cintra-Zachary
bid
not only paid for construction and subsequent maintenance and operation
of both roadways (which freed scarce state funding for other needed
projects), it also paid a large franchise fee to the state that could
also be used to fund other projects. Based on those merits,
the
Cintra-Zachary bid was accepted, and work started on the
US 281 project in late 2005. A subsequent lawsuit over the 281 project
resulted
in
TxDOT canceling the entire Cintra-Zachary contract, including the 1604
project.
ARMA
takes over
In 2007, in light of mounting pressure from activists against toll
roads being built and operated by private and mostly foreign
corporations, the
Legislature passed a moratorium on nearly all new privately-built
and/or operated toll roads. The legislation required that local
Regional Mobility Authorities be given the right of first refusal on
toll projects in their jurisdiction. The Alamo Regional
Mobility
Authority (ARMA), which was established by Bexar County in 2003,
subsequently opted to take control of both the 281 and
1604 projects and put forth a $1.8 billion plan to upgrade and
expand the
entire northern arc of Loop 1604 from Military Dr. on the west all the
way over to I‑10 on the east. The required environmental
study
for that project was started and, during the scoping process
for that study, the
eastern
boundary for the project was set at I‑35 North while the western
boundary was extended south to US 90.
Southern
US 281/Loop 1604
interchange connectors built
During the Great Recession, Congress approved a national economic
"stimulus" plan in
February
2009
that poured additional federal money into road construction
projects. The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
approved allocating most of San
Antonio's share of the largesse for the
first half of a 281/1604
interchange. That project built all four of the ramps
connecting to 281 south of 1604, i.e. northbound 281 to both directions
of 1604, and both directions of 1604 to southbound 281. The
use
of the federal funds allowed the ramps to be toll-free. The
Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) approved the state's share of the
costs on
March 5th, 2009. Construction began in early 2011 and was completed in
early 2013. It
was
determined that ramps connecting to 281 north of 1604 should not be
built until lingering issues stemming from the lawsuits and associated
environmental studies for 281 north of 1604 were resolved. Those ramps
were recently completed as part of the first phase of the US
281 expansion project.
Eastern
and western upgrades built
The
TTC also
approved using stimulus funds to expand Loop 1604 to a four lane
divided highway from FM 78 to Graytown Rd. near Randolph AFB. That work
was completed in September 2011. That same month, ARMA and TxDOT
completed a package of short-term improvements -- including
two "superstreet" intersections -- on Loop 1604 West between
Braun and
Culebra.
New
funding for toll-free
expansions
In
January
2014, TxDOT and ARMA
announced funding had been secured
to expand Loop 1604's western arc from Braun Rd. south to US 90 using a
mix of various local funding sources from the Advanced Transportation
District and ARMA.
However, this
corridor was already included in the ongoing
federal
environmental study for ARMA's larger project from US 90 to
I‑35.
Since the funding for the western expansion was coming solely
from state and local sources, it
no longer was required to comply with federal environmental
rules. Therefore, to avoid delaying those projects
unnecessarily while the federal environmental study dragged on,
the western segments were
removed from that ongoing study and instead approved under a separate
state
environmental review. This had the adverse side effect of requiring the
ongoing
federal study to be re-scoped and re-started using the adjusted project
limits, thus resulting in a substantial delay to that study and project.
Tolls
still needed
During
its session in early 2015, the Texas Legislature approved
new
funding sources for
highways that reallocated approximately $2.5 billion from sales
taxes
and motor vehicle sales taxes annually to highways. At that time, it
was projected that even the additional funding available to
San Antonio from that new source would not be
sufficient to
fund this project, so the tolled
managed lane component was kept in the plans.
Tolling
depreciated
In
late 2017, the governor and lieutenant governor directed the
TTC to remove tolling
from future projects. However, because Loop
1604 was
already in local plans with tolling underpinning its
funding,
and because the projected funding for the area was still
projected to
be insufficient to
cover its then $800 million estimated cost, it retained its
designation in
local plans as a
toll project. This was done because a viable funding source is required
under federal rules in order for
planning on a project to
continue.
Toll
component removed; TxDOT
takes project back
In mid 2018, revised funding forecasts became substantially more
favorable. In light
of that, and with
tolling deprecated statewide and all the other planned local toll
projects already converted back to traditional funding, the MPO board
voted to
remove the toll component from this project and ARMA
relinquished the project back to TxDOT.
New
non-toll plans released
In September 2020, TxDOT released the updated plans that removed the
tolled managed lanes and replaced them with two additional non-toll
general-purpose lanes and one HOV lane in each direction along with a
redesigned interchange at I‑10.
Construction begins
In May 2021, construction on the first phase of expansion, from Bandera
Rd. to I-10, began.
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