Closures of Loop 410, I-35 and I-10 may irk weekend drivers

8 p.m. Friday-5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 17-20

SB Loop 410 at U.S. 90

Traffic will head west at the U.S. Hwy 90 exit, turnaround at Hunt Lane and return to Loop 410. 8 p.m. Friday-5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 17-20

SB Loop 410 at U.S. 90

Traffic will head west at the U.S. Hwy 90 exit, turnaround at Hunt Lane and return to Loop 410. Photo: Google Maps Photo: Google Maps Image 1 of / 42 Caption Close Closures of Loop 410, I-35 and I-10 may irk weekend drivers 1 / 42 Back to Gallery

Two major interstate highway closures will make driving a challenge this weekend on three sides of San Antonio.

A closure that TxDOT spokesman Josh Donat previously described as an “apocalypse” — a massive construction project at Loop 410 and U.S. 90 where giant crawler cranes and welders are putting 220-ton steel beams in place for aerial flyovers — will continue this weekend. That interchange handles about 105,000 vehicles on an average day.

Loop 410 will be closed in both directions from 8 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday so cranes can lift the 130-foot beams into place high overhead. The contractor, Williams Brothers Construction, is on schedule to complete half of the flyovers — just the steel, not the concrete — this weekend, Donat said. Work will resume on the first weekend in December.

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Even more motorists will be inconvenienced from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday on Interstate 35 between Walzem Road and Randolph Boulevard, where all main lanes in both directions will be closed while crews install overhead highway signs.

Donat said that interchange sees an average of well over 200,000 vehicles a day.

A third big closure involves the continuing bridge construction at Interstate 10 and Fair Oaks Parkway, where about 59,000 motorists pass on a normal day. From 9 p.m. Friday until 6 p.m. Saturday, crews will be laying deck panels on top of support beams for the bridge, a $7.6 million job expected to be done by the middle of next year.

What used to be a tiny two-lane bridge at Fair Oaks Parkway will be replaced with a four-lane affair that features Tarpon Lane connecting directly to Fair Oaks, streamlining a once-funky maze of concrete. All main lanes will be closed for the work, with traffic diverted to access roads.

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But here’s the good news: The Texas Department of Transportation promises that none of these closures will be going on during the upcoming holiday periods, Nov. 23 through Nov. 27 and Dec. 15 through Jan. 2.

“The state will observe a moratorium on this construction during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays,” Donat said.

“This policy has been in place for several years,” he said. “That’s why we’re hustling so much now on these big projects. We want to be out of everyone’s way for Black Friday and beyond.”

For Saturday’s I-35 closure, northbound traffic will exit at Walzem Road and southbound traffic will exit at Randolph Boulevard. Both will follow detour signs along the access roads and re-enter the highway at the next available ramp.

When asked why TxDOT crews can’t do this work in the middle of a weekday night so as not to shut down a major highway on a Saturday, Donat replied, “That’s a good question. But I’m sure it’s because it is far safer for us to do this work in the daylight. This is not the kind of work you want to shortcut.

“These detours around Walzem and Randolph will be a bit hairy,” Donat said. “If possible, I would avoid the entire area; but if you use a navigation app, before starting your trip you’ll find some easy workarounds.”

bselcraig@express-news.net