Major weekend shutdown could halt 1604 traffic in San Antonio

It’s happening again, y’all. Any weekend travels on the Far Northside of San Antonio may be a bit of a doozy this weekend with several ramps closed at the intersection of Loop 1604 and I-10. Maybe do some extra planning if you’re looking to hit The Rim this weekend.

As part of its major $1.4 billion expansion of Loop 1604 and overhaul of the intersection with I-10, the Texas Department of Transportation is warning of some major closures this weekend that could leave traffic backed up significantly.

“The Loop 1604 North Expansion is a $1.4 billion investment designed to improve mobility and reduce congestion along 23-miles of the corridor across north Bexar County. The project is planned in six separate segments with four segments currently under construction,” TxDOT spokesperson Jennifer Serold told MySA.

“Working on multiple segments simultaneously allows TxDOT to deliver these improvements sooner and provide much needed congestion relief to Loop 1604 drivers. The majority of lane closures are scheduled on weeknights to limit the impact during peak travel periods. Some work requires longer closures periods (more than 8 hours) and is scheduled on weekends to limit the impact to work week commutes.”

Starting 9 p.m. Friday, June 7, eastbound I-10 mainlanes and collector-distriburor at the Loop 1604 interchange; I-10 westbound mainlanes left lane only at the Loop 1604 interchange; I-10 eastbound to Loop 1604; Loop 1604 to westbound I-10 will be completely shut down. The mainlanes of westbound I-10 and Loop 1604 will remain open.  The closure will run until 5 a.m. Monday morning. While this may create some significant inconveniences for weekend commuters in the area, a TxDOT spokesperson hinted some of the worst of this construction may nearly be behind us.

Further, I-10 main lanes that run under the intersection will be shut down, meaning those hoping to continue on I-10 through the intersection this weekend will have to exit early and use the access roads to get through. For those who’d normally have to hop on one of those closed leaves of the four-leaf clover interchange between 1604 and I-10, you’ll have to hop off the highway and use turnarounds to get on the right path.

It’s a lot to handle, we hear you. However, all this construction is expected to reduce congestion by up to 76% when it’s all said and done in a few years. In fact, one of those new connector ramps between 1604 and I-10 could be open later this year, marking a major milestone in the massive project.

This section of Loop 1604 is recognized by state officials as one of the most congested segments of highway in Texas, and it would only get worse in coming years without the improvements, says TxDOT officials. Texas is growing in population, and this massive revamp is slated to accommodate the influx of new drivers on San Antonio highways. There just might be a little bit of inconvenience all for the sake of progress.

“It’s one of the most congested corridors in the state,” TxDOT Public Information Officer Serold previously told MySA. “Over the next 20 to 25 years, the amount of daily drivers is expected to double. So, this expansion project is to prepare for future growth but also to give benefits to drivers in the next few years … It’s bringing a lot of congestion relief to drivers by giving them more lanes to travel on. And then, of course, when you reduce congestion, you increase safety for the drivers.”