Nightly lane closures along Loop 1604 North and the sight of long lines of brake lights on access roads are becoming a way of life for area residents.
Just this week, the Loop 1604 North expansion project closed westbound mainlanes from the Blanco Road exit ramp to the Interstate 10 interchange and the eastbound mainlane from the Bitters Road exit ramp to the Stone Oak parkway entrance ramp. That led to congested traffic for at least a mile westbound along the access road.
And more closures were scheduled for the weekend, just as they have been for months. It’s all part of the Loop 1604 North expansion project which is widening a 2.8-mile stretch of Loop 1604 from a four to 10-lane expressway and will replace the existing highway connections with a five-level interchange and new modern flyovers.
“This area is supposedly growing a lot, so it does need it,” said Maria Gonzalez, who ate dinner with a friend Wednesday night at Taco Palenque on Blanco Road.
Just outside at the red light on Blanco Road and the Loop 1604 west access road, three sheriff’s department officers directed heavy traffic at two intersections along the feeder road, directing cars using the detour.
The nightly closure happened for a traffic switch that will be in effect this weekend because newly constructed lanes are ready for traffic. During the closures this week, workers set barriers and striped highway lanes. When those closures ended Friday at 5 a.m., the older lanes were to be closed to begin work.
Drivers who travel Loop 1604 on the North Side have been forced since 2021 to cope with frequent lane and exit closures and added congestion. The work to improve that section of the loop — with an estimate of reducing traffic congestion by 76% — won’t be complete until 2027.
TxDOT said it tries to keep the construction’s impact on motorists as small as possible, but with a project this size, it’s challenging.
“We try to do these major closures where the highway is completely shut down like this at off-peak hours, where the impact to traffic is minimized,” said Jennifer Serold, public information officer for TxDOT.
And this will continue to happen throughout each segment of the process.
From Thursday to Saturday 9 p.m. to 5 p.m., TxDOT is closing the northbound lanes of Blanco Road from Loop 1604 Eastbound Frontage road to Talavera Parkway for San Antonio Water System work.
Cars seemed confused by the lane closures on Blanco Road Wednesday night after 9 p.m., especially the ones leaving McDonald’s and Popeye’s restaurants on Blanco Road. Motorists rode their brakes as they tried to spot a way to get on the Loop 1604 access road.
To access the feeder road to get on 1604, drivers had to cut through the shopping center parking lot through T-Mobile or Starbucks and access the road through an exit near the back of the buildings.
This weekend, TxDOT will again close a busy area: The Loop 1604 westbound mainlanes from the Blanco Road exit ramp to the Bitters Road entrance ramp and the Loop 1604 eastbound mainlane from the Bitters Road exit ramp to the Stone Oak Parkway entrance ramp. The shutdowns begin Friday at 9 p.m. and will continue through the weekend, with lanes reopening at 5 a.m. Monday.
In another weekend closure, TxDOT will close the westbound and eastbound mainlanes at the Interstate 10 interchange, the westbound cloverleaf ramp to Interstate 10 eastbound, and the Interstate 10 eastbound collector-distributor and cloverleaf ramp to Loop 1604 eastbound.
Serold said TxDOT recommends drivers avoid the area on 1604 between Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 281, or including extra time to drive safely in that section.
“This is a massive project so there’s closures all across the 23-mile corridor,” Serold said, adding that TxDOT will continue to communicate with local stakeholders, including businesses, neighborhood associations, City Council offices and the community.
To get notifications about the ongoing project from TxDOT, sign up for updates here.
On average, 150,000 drivers drive across 1604, and officials expect that number to double by 2045.
“Commute times will get worse, but that’s why we’re making these improvements now to bring that congestion relief and increase mobility and connectivity across Northern Bexar County,” Serold said.
Segment three of the project from Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 281 is on schedule to be completed in 2025. Construction on segment four, from 281 to Redland Road, will start this spring and segment one, from Bandera Road to Interstate 10, will be complete early next year, Serold said.
Segment two, the five-level interchange at Interstate 10, is 40% complete and will be completed in 2027.
