SAN ANTONIO – A far West Side traffic light is the subject of controversy, not because it's there, but because the Texas Department of Transportation wants to take it away.
People who use the stoplight daily says it's convenient and shouldn't fall victim to Loop 1604 expansion, but the state says commuters won't miss it when the changes happen in over than a year.
Since Melissa Irish moved to the Laurel Mountain Ranch subdivision three years ago, she's had to make just one left turn off Emory Peak onto North Loop 1604 to be on her way to work.
"It's nice and simple with the light there," Irish said.
She said the fact TxDOT wants to take away the light is the talk of the neighborhood.
"I mean, all the neighbors agree. It's just going create chaos if there's no light there,” she said. “It's just going to be backed up, and people trying to merge when they don't need to. The light creates that perfect situation, where you can just get out when it's green."
In response to people's concerns, TxDOT attempted to explain the changes on its blog.
As they expand Loop 1604, they said, workers will remove the intersection and continue the divided four-lane highway.
TxDOT said the light was always meant to be temporary, and that they can't build an overpass there as there are two others each a half-mile away, which does not allow enough room for exits and on-ramps.
Losing the stoplight will limit the options people have for reaching the highway.
For drivers like Irish, they will have to go to 1 1/2 miles down the access road to Marbach Road and use the turnaround.
TxDOT said when the changes happen, which is still a year away, commuters will be better off because they won't have to wait at a light.
"I would rather wait at an intersection and get to where I need to go, instead of going in the total opposite direction,” Irish said.