Weekend driving on the Northside of San Antonio has become a bit of a gamble. As the state works to completely reshape Loop 1604, there are some pesky closures that cause intense traffic slowdowns and frustrating detours. This weekend, the closure is going to be a serious doozy, as a busy stretch of Texas’ biggest state loop completely shuts down.
Driving along Loop 1604 will be dicey for a big chunk of the weekend. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is completely shutting down both directions of Loop 1604 near U.S. 281 from 9 p.m. Friday, June 26, to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Every eastbound lane of Loop 1604 between Blanco and Bulverde roads will be closed for 18 hours. So, folks heading toward Stone Oak or crossing over into the Northeast Side should brace for serious slowdowns or delays this weekend.
In the opposite direction, Loop 1604 will be closed from Bulverde Road to Redland Road –– a much shorter distance with as much potential to cause traffic buildup during peak weekend hours.
Overall, it’s a sign that TxDOT is making major headway on the next phase of a $1.4 billion revamp of the northern section of the massive highway. In the end, Loop 1604 will be expanded to 10 lanes.
“It’s one of the most congested corridors in the state,” TxDOT Public Information Officer Jennifer Serold 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.”
The stretch of highway that crosses U.S. 281 appears to be part of the third leg of a six-phase project that runs from Bandera Road on the Far Northwest Side to I-35 on the Far Northeast Side. Segment 3 is slated to wrap up sometime this year.