SAN ANTONIO – Congestion and construction on San Antonio highways continue to be a traffic headache for drivers, but a recent study shows significant traffic relief in one part of Bexar County.
A recent study by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute analyzed the top 100 congested roadways in the state and found that the number of miles traveled overall in the San Antonio area increased by 14% in the last 10 years. However, traffic delays in the region decreased by 21% in that same period.
The study also found that commuters are saving an estimated $278 million in time and fuel costs.
The completion of U.S. Highway 281 on the North Side was a primary factor in that decrease.
U.S. Highway 281 was once the most congested corridor in San Antonio and among the top 15 across the state. That is no longer the case for drivers there.
“Now that the project is completed, it’s No. 2,084 in the state on the most congested roadways in Texas,” said Jennifer Serold, TxDOT spokesperson. “Texas A&M found that on Highway 281 alone, drivers are saving $350 every year because of the investment made on Highway 281 and northern Bexar County.”
The first phase of construction on U.S. 281 over Loop 1604 started in 2017 and was completed four years later in 2021.
“It was about a four-year project for the first part. These big investments do take a little bit of time to build and to construct. But when they’re done and when they’re open to traffic, they make a tremendous amount of difference for the drivers as far as congestion,” said Serold.
Work around the interchange along Loop 1604 and across the entire San Antonio area continues.
Three major TxDOT projects are on schedule to be completed in 2025. The first is on the East Side at the Loop 410 and I-10 East interchange.
The two others are on Loop 1604 in northern Bexar County. They are the following:
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The Loop 1604 North Expansion from Bandera/SH 16 to I-10 (Segment 1) is 83% complete.
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The 1604 expansion from I-10 to U.S. 281 (Segment 3) is 73% complete.
TxDOT has $5.6 billion in projects under construction in the San Antonio region. Many of these are funded through Texas Clear Lanes, an initiative started by Gov. Greg Abbott to reduce congestion in the state’s most populated areas.
