Story updated at 1:35 p.m.
SAN ANTONIO - Construction is underway at the so-called “Can Opener” intersection at Loop 1604 and Schuwirth Road on the East Side, known for its frequent crashes.
With more than 100 crashes recorded since 2016, the intersection has sparked concern among residents and local business owners. It’s an area KSAT viewers first reached out about back in June.
“We’ve been over there two years, and we’ve seen probably 30 wrecks here,” local business owner Steve Smith said. “And I mean, some of them are...bad.”
Despite its secondary label as a “death trap,” efforts to improve safety are finally in progress.
“Within the past few weeks TxDOT has placed barriers across Schuwirth between the directions of SL 1604 to improve safety,” Jennifer Serold, spokesperson with the Texas Department of Public Safety, said in a statement to KSAT. “The intention of this change is for traffic to use the downstream turnarounds to make their maneuvers. Closing the crossover and having traffic utilize the turnarounds creates a significant reduction in crossing conflicts (which means a reduction in right-angle or t-bone collisions, which is where we see most of the fatalities) and should greatly improve safety at the intersection.”
The closure is expected to be in place for an extended period of time as they work with developers toward a permanent solution, according to Serold.
“I’m very excited,” neighbor Krystal Jackson said. “The family and I are ecstatic that something is finally getting started.”
“Oh, man, it’s everything [that the intersection is safe],” Smith said. “We need a light here. Bad.”
Adam Rabanes was in a crash at the intersection while teaching his son how to drive.
“My son has a little bit of PTSD because every time we’re at an intersection, you kind of see him like glancing over just to make sure that nobody’s coming from that direction, but almost, like, to an extreme,” Rabanes said. “I want it fixed, so that you know somebody doesn’t end up, you know, in like a worse case than we were in.”
148 crashes since 2016
TxDOT data shows there have been 148 crashes at the intersection since 2016 — 10 more than when KSAT first covered the problem.
"I didn’t see any cars coming," Rabanes said. “Next thing you know, we’re hit. I look over and there’s blood and glass all over my son’s face, and I was freaking out. I was worried about him.”
Jackson said her neighbors and family have called the area a “death trap.”
“We refuse to come here,” Jackson said.
More related traffic coverage on KSAT: