Home | About me | Contact | What's new | Privacy | Search
 

San Antonio
Freeway system
  Primer
  Fwy system history
  2021 traffic statistics
  The freeways
    I-10 East
    I-10 West
    I-35 North
    I-35 South
    I-37
    Kelly Pkwy
    Loop 410 (I-410)
    Loop 1604
    SH 151
    Spur 371
    US 90 West
    US 281 North
    Wurzbach Pkwy
  Construction projects
    I-10E Exp (Graytown)
    I-10E/Loop 410
    I-10 Boerne area
    I-35 Comal Projects
    I-35 NEX
    Loop 410/SH 151
    Loop 410/US 281
    LP 1604N Expansion
    LP 1604/Blanco
    LP 1604/FM 78-I-10
    LP 1604/I-35-FM 78
    SH 151 Expansion
    US 90W Expansion
    US 90/Loop 410
    US 281N Expansion
    US 281 Comal Exp
    US 281/Basse
    US 281/Jones-Mltsbrg
    Wurzbach/NW Military
  Etcetera
    HOV lanes
    Media galleries
    Tollway system
    TransGuide
    10/1604 yield signs
    History of 281/410
Other roads
History
FAQs

Search this site
 
This site is not affiliated with any official agency.


Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

If you found this site informative, please consider making a small donation to help support it. Thanks!


ADVERTISEMENT

San Antonio Area Freeway System
PROJECT INFO: Loop 1604 from I-35 to FM 78

This page last updated January 15, 2023

ADVERTISEMENT

Project locationLocation
Loop 1604 from I-35 to FM 78

Status
Complete

Timeline
Construction started in late 2018 and is complete.

Description
This project upgraded Loop 1604 at this location from a partial freeway to a full freeway. This included adding access roads between Kitty Hawk and FM 1976 and extending the existing truncated northbound access road between Kitty Hawk and Palisades; these new access roads disconnected the six "right-on, right-off" intersections along those stretches from the mainlanes and connected them to the new access roads instead.
The new access roads are "stubbed" for a future extension of them over the railroad tracks at FM 1976/FM 78. The addition of the access roads  eliminated the southbound entrance from and northbound exit to FM 1976; motorists in both cases have to travel to Kitty Hawk and turnaround there.

The project also reconfigured entrance and exit ramps, added auxiliary lanes between ramps near Pat Booker, and reconstrucedt the Pat Booker overpass. (The widening of the Kitty Hawk overpass was included in early proposals but dropped from the final plan.) The mainlanes between Pat Booker and Kitty Hawk were reconstructed and shifted toward each other in the median with a concrete barrier built to separate them.

How this project will help
Traffic is increasing on this stretch of Loop 1604 and the "right-on, right-off" intersections pose safety issues for through traffic on 1604. These intersections have been moved to the new access roads. The addition of auxiliary lanes will help improve traffic flow and safety and the reconfiguration of the ramps brought this section in line with current design standards. Furthermore, future plans are to upgrade Loop 1604 south of FM 78 to a freeway, so upgrading this transitional section was a necessary precursor.

FAQ

  • Why was the NB exit to FM 1976 and SB entrance from FM 1976 be removed?
    The "jug-handle" ramps there are obsolete and too dangerous for the expected traffic volumes in the area. The traffic counts for those movements were likely too low to warrant replacing those ramps.

  • How will traffic that used to use the "jug-handle" ramps get to/from FM 1976?
    In both cases, that traffic will need to go north to Kitty Hawk and use the turnaround or find alternate routes on other nearby roadways.

Schematic
Below is the detailed schematic for this project from TxDOT with my own annotations added to help clarify and explain the various elements. Click on the image below to open the schematic in a new window that you can scroll and zoom. Note that the schematics used here were preliminary; the final plans included some minor changes that are noted in the annotations.

 (Note: the schematic below is somewhat large and may take a few seconds to open.)

  


Other sites of interest
TxDOT - Loop 1604 from I-35 to FM 78 Mobility Improvements
http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/get-involved/about/hearings-meetings/san-antonio/013117.html


This page and all its contents are Copyright © 2023 by Brian Purcell

NOTICE
The information provided on this website is provided on an "as-is" basis without warranties of any kind either express or implied.  The author and his agents make no warranties or representations of any kind concerning any information contained in this website.  This website is provided only as general information.  The author expressly disclaims all liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based upon the information contained herein or with respect to any errors or omissions in such information.  All opinions expressed are strictly those of the author.  This site is not affiliated in any way with any official agency.