Traveling on San Antonio’s busiest highways, especially during rush hour traffic, has the potential to ruin your day, not to mention dinner reservations. Luckily, relief is underway as the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has begun a new project in the city.
Crews have officially started working on the expansion of U.S. Highway 90 in west Bexar County, TxDOT said in a release on Thursday, December 18. The initiative is part of the Texas Clear Lanes plan, which aims to both improve safety and reduce congestion along 7.6 miles of the corridor from Interstate (I) 410 to State Highway (SH) 211.
“It’s an investment in San Antonio’s future,” TxDOT San Antonio District Engineer Charles Benavidez, P.E., wrote in a statement. “By enhancing safety and cutting commute times, we’re creating a safer and more connected transportation network that will improve quality of life for generations to come.”
What to expect from the U.S. 90 Expansion
It will be a years-long process, but there’s a lot to look forward to. The most grand improvements include the widening of the already-present four main lanes. It will turn into six lanes by the end of the process, TxDOT says.
Photos taken by MySA staff this week show that a team has already been stationed at sites along U.S. Highway 90. Members were seen near the Loop 1604 North exit, where crew members are installing columns and working on nearby frontage roads. A sign in the image indicates that the left shoulder is closed.
One of San Antonio’s most congested highways, U.S. Highway 90, will finally see some relief, the Texas Department of Transportation announced in December 2025. (Courtesy of Candice Avila-Garcia/MySA)
So what does this mean for traffic in the near future? For now, there isn’t anything to worry about. As the project moves further along, delays could become more common due to construction.
“Minor closures may occur overnight for the first few months,” TxDOT spokesperson Jennifer Serold told MySA. “Major traffic impacts are not expected in the next several weeks.”
Additional upgrades to the route include the addition of a flyover ramp that connects U.S. 90 west to northbound Loop 1604 and upgraded intersections at Loop 1604, Montgomery Road, and Hunt Lane. TxDOT says that folks can also expect to see turnaround bridges at SH 211, Loop 1604, and Montgomery Road. Eventually, the agency will also work on creating a roundabout at Ray Ellison Boulevard/Hunt Lane and installing sidewalks, auxiliary lanes, and shoulders in the area.
What is the point of the U.S. 90 Expansion?
Residents on the Far West Side have been calling attention to how their streets need a makeover for (at least) several months. The goal of the plan is not just to address current congestion on U.S. Highway 90, though. TxDOT says it also aims to prepare for future growth in this part of town. The agency found that they needed to act now, or risk a more dire overcrowding.
“By 2045, traffic volumes are expected to more than double to an estimated 150,000 drivers traveling the corridor each day,” the agency said in the release. “If no improvements are made, future commute times are expected to reach 70 minutes. With the US 90 Expansion, commute times are estimated to be reduced by as much as 90%.”
U.S. 90 Expansion timeline and cost
We are in the first phase of this initiative. It targets 3.3 miles of road from I-410 to Loop 1604. TxDOT’s website indicates the zone beginning at about Pue Road and ending just after Hunt Lane and Ray Ellison Boulevard. Construction began in late 2025 and is expected to be complete by 2030. It will cost $146 million.
One of San Antonio’s most congested highways, U.S. Highway 90, will finally see some relief, the Texas Department of Transportation(TxDOT) announced. (Courtesy of the Texas Department of Transportation )
Phase two is expected to begin in 2027 and takes place along 4.3 miles of road from Loop 1604 to SH 211. The work zone begins at about Masterson Road and ends just after Cagnon Road, according to the agency’s website. TxDOT estimates this part of the plan will be done by 2031.
One of San Antonio’s most congested highways, U.S. Highway 90, will finally see some relief, the Texas Department of Transportation(TxDOT) announced. (Courtesy of the Texas Department of Transportation )
As of now, this part of the plan, estimated to cost $339 million, is only partially funded.
This article originally published at Long-awaited relief starts on one of San Antonio’s worst traffic corridors.