SAN ANTONIO – Mattresses, ladders, couches and even car doors: San Antonio drivers said they are dodging all kinds of debris on area highways.
Isaiah Flores, a San Antonio driver, said he has learned to expect the unexpected on Interstate 35.
“Driving on I-35 is absolutely terrifying,” Flores said.
He is not talking about a soda can or a fast-food bag.
“I have narrowly avoided ladders in the middle of the highway, couches, car doors, dog crates, and tools in the middle of I-35,” Flores said.
Flores said he had had enough of the close calls, so he commented on a KSAT social media post about road debris. He was not alone.
One viewer said a mattress near Highway 90 and Military Drive sat there for years. Another said a couch has been along Interstate 10 for a month.
TxDOT told KSAT it contracts weekly sweeping and debris removal, plus spot sweeping as needed. The agency also said it conducts two litter pickups a month.
TxDOT said its crews maintain more than 11,000 lane miles across the San Antonio region, and that preventing litter in the first place is the most effective solution.
Flores said drivers share responsibility, too.
“I think a way we can fix it is by citizens being a little more accountable and making sure things are properly strapped down,” he said.
For Flores, it is what ends up in his lane that has him worried.
“I love San Antonio, I love living here, I just want it to feel a little less like ‘Final Destination’ when I’m driving to Walmart, please,” he said.
Drivers can report road debris through TxDOT’s website, which helps crews find and respond to problem areas.
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