TxDOT San Antonio gives update on Highway 281 construction

Four-year project slated for completion in 2021

SAN ANTONIO – Texas Department of Transportation San Antonio used social media to give an update on the Highway 281 expansion project on Tuesday.

The US 281 North project will bring much-anticipated improvements to a stretch that is considered the most congested highway in San Antonio.

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Eight miles of Highway 281, from Loop 1604 to Borgfeld Drive, will include non-tolled lanes, HOV lanes and frontage roads. There will also be bicycle lanes and pedestrian crossings.

On Tuesday, TxDOT Public Information Officer Josh Donat rode along with a construction engineer and a project manager to narrate some of the progress that has been made so far.

Here are some of the updates he provided to KSAT about the project:

  • Project started in August 2017 and will wrap up in 2021.
  • Project cost is about $190 million. About 25 percent of that has been spent to date.
  • Project will add two freeway lanes each way, plus one HOV lane each way and will maintain three existing lanes each way as frontage roads.
  • Currently, crews are working on building the frontage roads on both sides. Traffic will switch to those frontage roads in mid-2019. Traffic will still use superstreet turnarounds while the main lanes are being built.
  • The direct connectors between Loop 1604 and Highway are under construction and will be ready for use in 2021.
  • Construction is beginning on a sound wall for the Village on the Glen neighborhood south of Evans and west of Highway 281. The wall will be completed about the same time as traffic moves onto the frontage roads in 2019.
  • TxDOT says the construction company, Webber, is committed to maintaining the level-of-service for Highway 281 throughout the duration of construction. 

Donat offered the following advice for safely navigating the construction zone:

"Put away all distractions while driving, stay in your lane, slow down, pay close attention to signs and lane markings."

WATCH: TxDOT San Antonio's guided tour of the US Hwy 281 expansion between Lp 1604 and Stone Oak Pkwy


About the Author:

Julie Moreno has worked in local television news for more than 25 years. She came to KSAT as a news producer in 2000. After producing thousands of newscasts, she transitioned to the digital team in 2015. She writes on a wide variety of topics from breaking news to trending stories and manages KSAT’s daily digital content strategy.