Major overhaul of San Antonio highway leaves lanes closed for awhile

There’s going to be some major shakeups for those traveling State Highway 151 on the Westside of San Antonio as the Texas Department of Transportation continues its significant overhaul of the highway that runs through a booming side of the city. If you’re a frequent flyer, well driver, of the highway, you may want to plan for some delays over the next couple weeks as there’s going to be some lane closures.

On Tuesday, January 2, daily lane closures began in each direction of the frontage roads at Potranco Road, Hunt Lane, and Ingram Road. While one lane will always remain open in each direction, these closures are likely to cause some delays as they’ll be happening during the middle of the day, namely from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s going to be happening for quite some time, to boot, as TxDOT warns the frontage road closures will run through the end of January.

More frontage road closures are expected from Wednesday, January 3, through Friday, January 12, during the same hours from Wiseman Road to Westover hills and from 151 to Wiseman Boulevard, marking a shorter but just as frustrating set of closures that could leave morning and afternoon commutes a bit delayed.

On the upside, there’s no major highway main closures currently underway, but don’t hold your breath – TxDOT could come out with more closures at any time. These lane closures are all tied to a massive overhaul of the highway which is seeing a consistent increase in use as more and more subdivisions are cropping up on the Westside of the city. With major developments, like Methodist Hospital’s latest venture, cropping up at major intersections along 151 at Loop 410 and Loop 1604, it’s no wonder TxDOT is working to widen the major San Antonio highway.

“This corridor has experienced an influx of growth over the last decade,” TxDOT says in its project summary. “This growth has led to the need for expanding and updating existing infrastructure. Road improvements are needed to enhance safety and mobility, including addressing the increase in traffic along this corridor.”

How is TxDOT improving traffic mobility? They’re expanding the once four-lane highway, with two lanes headed in each direction, into a six-lane thoroughfare. Plus, they’re adding inside shoulders and concrete median barriers, upgrading entrance and exit ramps and intersections, adding three turnarounds, and constructing a direct connector route to Loop 1604. All these improvements are aimed at solving traffic woes for what the City of San Antonio has deemed one of the fastest growing areas in the city.

“The Highway 151 and Loop 1604 Area Regional Center has a population of 13,542 within 4,871 households. The plan area has experienced significant housing growth over the past two decades and has outpaced the city’s rate of growth, particularly between 2010 and 2018 when the area’s 4.9% annual growth rate was over four times the citywide average.…Between 2010 and 2040, the plan area is forecast to grow by 11,300 households.”

With the expansion project slated for a December 2026 completion, which is surprisingly speedy considering construction only began in May, it’s likely to help ease congestion nightmares caused by what the city is deeming a significant population boom on the Westside of San Antonio.