More construction is coming to San Antonio along a highway that carries more than 230,000 vehicles per day (and is growing). Here’s what to know.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, a new ramp is taking shape as part of a massive, ongoing expansion of Interstate 35 that stretches from San Antonio’s Eastside to Schertz.
“This new ramp will connect the future elevated southbound I-35 lanes to I-410 South at ground-level,” TxDOT San Antonio said in a Monday, October 5, Facebook post.
Those future elevated lanes are part of the I-35 Northeast Expansion (NEX) — a 20-mile, $3.5 billion project scheduled for completion in 2032. NEX follows a portion of I-35 from N. Walters Street near the Frost Bank Center to FM 1103 in Schertz.
TxDOT said work is progressing in phases, four of which are currently under construction. Work from FM 3009 to I-410 North began in 2022 and is estimated to wrap up next year. A phase from I-410 North to I-410 South kicked off in 2024 with a 2028 end date, and a portion from I-410 South to FM 78 began last year with a 2029 completion timeline. The most recent segment of the project began this year, focusing on I-410 South to N. Walters Street. Drivers can expect that segment to be finished by 2030.
The project segment from FM 1103 to FM 3009 remains in design and may not begin until 2028.
“The elevated lanes being built as part of the I-35 NEX project will carry through-traffic above the existing roadway, with limited entry and exit points,” TxDOT said on Facebook, adding that the existing I-35/I-410 South connector can be seen on the right hand side of the included photo. “The future elevated I-35 lanes will pass above the connector ramps, while the current I-35 mainlanes remain below.”
According to TxDOT, the NEX project will “increase roadway capacity, improve traffic flow, enhance safety, and support future growth along the corridor” and transition to the ongoing Loop 1604 North expansion.