SAN ANTONIO -- Alamo Regional Mobility Authority announced Monday that it will begin taking bids on construction of the U.S. Highway 281 "super street," north of Loop 1604.

Alamo RMA spokesman Leroy Alloway said bid packages will go out Wednesday, Dec. 9, and be awarded in January 2010. The super street will eliminate cross-traffic at several intersections north of U.S. 281, north of Loop 1604, including at Evans Road. Rather than crossing the highway, drivers would need to turn either right or left on the highway, then make a U-turn and turn onto the road they were trying to get to. Project planners said the intersections will have only two light cycles, instead of three or four.

Construction would tentatively begin in February, with a completion date set for the beginning of school in the fall of 2010, Alloway said.

The announcement was made during the Metropolitan Planning Organization's monthly meeting, which also included discussions about the long-term future of U.S. 281.

During the meeting, Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff called for a side-by-side comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of a tolled and non-tolled U.S. 281, an issue that has become the focal point for many who see the construction of toll roads as an opening for foreign investment money.

Terri Hall, founder of toll-opposing Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom, was pleased with Wolff's amendment.

"If that is what's going to help the board members make a sound decision on finally moving forward with a non-toll plan on 281 and 1604, we are absolutely elated bout that," Hall said.