If you work a shift with odd hours, you may often avoid rush-hour traffic. That could change this week, as the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) plans a major closure in the San Antonio area.
Beginning Wednesday, July 15, at 9 p.m., all main southbound lanes on I-35 at Judson Road will be closed, according to a press release from the agency. The closure will most severely affect travelers near Northeast Methodist Hospital and the City of Live Oak.
The shutdown ends at 5 a.m. on Thursday, July 16. But Texans won’t be out of the clear just yet. TxDOT also plans to close the northbound I-35 main lanes at Judson Road from 9 p.m. Thursday, July 16, to 5 a.m. Friday, July 17.
While inconvenient for some, TxDOT says the closure is necessary so crews can work on the interstate bridge beam. The task is part of the department’s I-35 Northeast Expansion project (NEX), which focuses on widening approximately 20 miles of the interstate from N. Walters Street to FM 1103 across Bexar, Comal, and Guadalupe counties.
Wednesday night and Thursday morning: Drivers will exit southbound I-35 at the Judson Road off-ramp and follow the detour along the southbound I-35 frontage road. Vehicles can then enter the on-ramp to the main lanes south of Judson Road.
Thursday night and Friday morning: Drivers will exit northbound I-35 at the Judson Road off-ramp and take the frontage road detour. Vehicles can then enter northbound I-35 via the on-ramp at Topperwein Road.
According to TxDOT’s website, the I-35 NEX initiative includes five major projects. These two tasks are part of South Phase 1, which began in the summer of 2024 and is estimated to be completed in late 2028. The other NEX projects, South Phases 2 and 3, as well as North, are in design.