San
Antonio Area Freeway System
PROJECT
INFO:
Loop 1604 from FM 78 to I-10 East |
|
This
page last updated January 29, 2022 |
 |
This
project is currently in design
The
descriptions below are based on preliminary schematics and, as
a
result, details may change before the project goes to construction.
This page will be updated when final schematics for the project are
available. |
Location
Loop
1604 from FM 78 to I-10 East
Status
Advanced planning
Timeline
Construction
is not yet scheduled. As of this writing, it is penciled-in to start in
2032. However, funding could be allocated sooner. It is estimated
construction would take about three years to complete.
Description
This project will upgrade Loop
1604 in this area from a divided highway to a full
freeway. Mainlane overpasses
will be constructed at Rocket Lane, Lower Seguin Road, Graytown Road,
and Binz-Engleman Road. Access
roads will be built throughout
the entire corridor except through the Salitrillo Creek
floodplain. Overpasses for the access roads over the railroad
tracks at FM 78 will be built to connect with new access roads
being built north of FM 1976 as part of a separate
project. Lower
Seguin Road will be realigned to cross
Loop 1604 at a single, perpendicular intersection.
Because
of the railroad tracks at FM 78, a traditional exit for southbound Loop
1604 to FM 78 and corresponding entrance to northbound Loop
1604
from FM 78 are not possible without significant elevating of FM 78
(deemed too costly.) Instead, a series of dedicated turnarounds will be
provided to facilitate those movements:
- Traffic
headed from southbound Loop 1604 will exit onto a dedicated ramp with
an elevated turnaround that will drop that traffic directly onto the
northbound access road to FM 78.
- Traffic
headed from FM 78 to northbound Loop 1604 will turn onto the southbound
Loop 1604 access road, then exit to the left into a dedicated
turnaround which then will lead directly into an entrance ramp to
northbound Loop 1604.
- A
third southbound to northbound turnaround, just south of Hanover Cove,
will provide an additional crossover opportunity in that area.
This
project will end just north of I-10 East and the existing signalized
intersections there will remain for now. Stubs for planned future
interchange flyovers will be built on Loop 1604 as part of this project.
How
this
project will help
Traffic has been increasing on this stretch of
Loop 1604 and is expected to continue, so this project will facilitate
that anticipated traffic.
FAQ
- Why does this project not include
flyovers to/from I-10?
Simply-put,
there is not enough funding available at this time to include flyovers.
Although it won't be ideal, the existing intersections at I-10 should
be able to adequately handle expected traffic for a few more years
until
funding for the first flyovers can be secured.
- What is with the wacky U-turns to
get to and from FM 78?
Because
of the railroad tracks, traditional exit and entrance
ramps
on the north side of FM 78 are not possible without elevating FM 78 and
probably also Loop 1604. Doing so would be cost-prohibitive, so the the
U-turn ramps were the next best solution.
- Why is there no northbound exit
to FM 1976?
Like
with the FM 78 question above, the railroad tracks there make
a
traditional exit impossible. While FM 78 has the the traffic volumes to
support the more elaborate ramps required, FM 1976 does not.
Schematic
Click
on
the image below to open the detailed schematic for this
project from TxDOT with my own annotations added to help clarify and
explain the various elements. The schematic will
open in a new window that you can scroll and zoom. These plans are
preliminary and subject to change.
(Note: the
schematic is somewhat large and may take a few seconds to open.)

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