While the construction may be an inconvenience, TxDOT says a recent study found commuters saving on fuel costs is all thanks to the infrastructure projects.
SAN ANTONIO — We’ve become used to seeing construction all around San Antonio. But one project around downtown is causing traffic trouble.
TxDOT says it’s all part of the massive $26 million project on I-35 and I-10, focusing on bridge repair and also structures in the area around downtown. But it’s giving drivers a major headache.
“I’ve seen a lot of backups, you know, bumper to bumper,” said Julie Cabrera, who travels the stretch of I-10 and I-35 being fixed up daily. She says the work being done is making her drivetime double.
“My commute from here to my kids school should be about a nine minute drive. Now it’s about 18 to 20 minutes,” Carbrera said.
Jennifer Serold, a TxDOT spokesperson told KENS 5, “Last year we did a lot of work on I-10 from Hildebrand all the way into town. And now this month, we’ve been focusing on work on I-35 from Martin to Cesar Chavez, so closer to the UTSA downtown campus.”
TxDOT says its not all bad news and needs to be done.
“To improve safety for drivers, we want to make sure we keep our highways and our structures safe for everyone to travel on,” said Serold.
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute looked at the top 10 congested roadways in Texas over 10 years and found that the number of miles traveled across San Antonio increased by 14%.
On the flip side, delays in San Antonio decreased by 21% over those 10 years. It wasn’t just time saved but also money, with the study finding commuters saved an estimated $278 million in both time and fuel costs.
TxDOT says the savings are all thanks to the infrastructure improvements.
“TxDOT and Texas A&M has found that the investments we make in these critical infrastructure projects like 1604 and I-35, are really creating some tangible relief for drivers when they’re out on their commutes,” said Serold.
TxDOT says this section of the project should be completed by the end of this month, weather permitting. After that, the project moves further south.