US 281 in San Antonio

[MaxConcrete]

The TxDOT Commission meeting this week has an agenda item for advanced right-of-way acquisition for freeway upgrade of 6.7 miles of US 281 from the Bexar/Comal County line to SH 46.

As stated in the minute order, this project has not been environmentally cleared for right-of-way acquisition, but it is an obvious certainty the freeway will be along the existing corridor. Minute orders for specific advanced right-of-way acquisition are rare, so I'm inclined to think there is an imminent development threat to right-of-way which will be needed.

In Comal County a project has been proposed to convert a section of US 281, a non-
freeway to a freeway section from Bexar/Comal County Line to SH 46, a distance of
approximately 6.7 miles (CSJ 0253-03-076).

Transportation Code, §202.112 authorizes the commission to acquire real property
or an interest in real property for possible use in, or in connection with, a transportation
facility before a final decision has been made as to whether the transportation facility will be
located on that property or environmental clearance has been issued for the transportation
facility by the appropriate federal or state authority.

The commission finds and determines that the acquisition of property along US 281,
from Bexar/Comal County Line to SH 46 in Comal County, is necessary or convenient for
possible use in, or in connection with, a transportation facility to be constructed,
reconstructed, maintained, widened, straightened, or extended (constructed or improved).

[Bobby5280]

Plans to extend the US-281 freeway up to TX-46 have been in the works for years. This page has a schematic of the road design (although it might be preliminary).
https://www.texashighwayman.com/us281-comal.shtml

Another future phase would extend the freeway farther North to the FM-306 intersection North of Spring Branch. 5 miles of US-281 on that segment are on a freeway wide ROW already. The existing main lanes would be turned into frontage roads.

[splashflash]

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2025/02/12/study-shows-drop-in-congestion-for-drivers-on-hwy-281-on-far-north-side-as-construction-along-1604-ramps-up/

The study also found that commuters are saving an estimated $278 million in time and fuel costs.

The completion of U.S. Highway 281 on the North Side was a primary factor in that decrease.

U.S. Highway 281 was once the most congested corridor in San Antonio and among the top 15 across the state. That is no longer the case for drivers there.

[jgb191]

I would say make it a four-lane divided highway at least up to US-290 southern junction near Johnson City (if not up to Marble Falls).  The several-mile concurrency of 281 & 290 has been four-lane divided for as long as I can remember. 

It used to be the US-281 freeway abruptly ended about a half-mile north of Loop-1604 at Sonterra Blvd (with a couple of overpasses along the way, the second of which at FM-1863 was constructed in the 1990s), and reduced to two-lane road north of the Guadalupe River.  The Bulverde area has been exploding faster than any other area in Central Texas that I can think of.

[Bobby5280]

I would say the long term prospects of the US-281 freeway being extended up to the US-290 corridor look pretty good. There are real plans in the works to extend the freeway from its current North end at Cibolo Creek up past the TX-46 interchange in Bulverde. The phase up to the FM-306 intersection North of Spring Branch would be an easy upgrade to build since all the ROW is in place. The town of Blanco would need a new bypass though.

If I-14 can gain any traction going West of Copperas Cove and Lampasas the US-281 freeway could get extended that far North. The US-281/TX-71 interchange could use improvement. The area around Lake Lyndon B. Johnson is growing in popularity (Horseshoe Bay, Marble Falls, etc). It's the back door to the trendy Bee Cave area West of Austin.

[sprjus4]

I would say the long term prospects of the US-281 freeway being extended up to the US-290 corridor look pretty good. There are real plans in the works to extend the freeway from its current North end at Cibolo Creek up past the TX-46 interchange in Bulverde. The phase up to the FM-306 intersection North of Spring Branch would be an easy upgrade to build since all the ROW is in place. The town of Blanco would need a new bypass though.

If I-14 can gain any traction going West of Copperas Cove and Lampasas the US-281 freeway could get extended that far North. The US-281/TX-71 interchange could use improvement. The area around Lake Lyndon B. Johnson is growing in popularity (Horseshoe Bay, Marble Falls, etc). It's the back door to the trendy Bee Cave area West of Austin.

https://www.txdot.gov/projects/hearings-meetings/austin/2024/us281-at-sh71-012524.html

They're planning a full turbine interchange at SH-71, which seems a bit... overboard. But who knows.

[jgb191]

Last time I was in the Marble Falls area was around 2006 I believe and used to drive to the Hill Country every year before that.  At that time I thought the current cloverleaf interchange is adequate enough for US-281/TX-71, although I wouldn't surprise me if the traffic loads have stiffened up quite a bit by now through that intersection.  I would say modify the cloverleaf to add a single-point exit from each of the mainlanes running parallel and the both the ramps coming off, and merging onto, the side roads; and the parallel roads rejoining the mainlanes.  Currently two separate exits on each side branch directly from, and merging directly onto, the mainlanes.  This would be the same format as the cloverleaf interchanges formerly seen along San Antonio's I-410.

[texaskdog]

I-37 should go all the way to WIchita Falls.  SA to OKC avoiding FW & Austin.

[sprjus4]

Last time I was in the Marble Falls area was around 2006 I believe and used to drive to the Hill Country every year before that.  At that time I thought the current cloverleaf interchange is adequate enough for US-281/TX-71, although I wouldn't surprise me if the traffic loads have stiffened up quite a bit by now through that intersection.  I would say modify the cloverleaf to add a single-point exit from each of the mainlanes running parallel and the both the ramps coming off, and merging onto, the side roads; and the parallel roads rejoining the mainlanes.  Currently two separate exits on each side branch directly from, and merging directly onto, the mainlanes.  This would be the same format as the cloverleaf interchanges formerly seen along San Antonio's I-410.

So basically collector-distributor (C/D) lanes?

I would agree, or even less with just a par-clo with movements on US-281 being freeway. I've only seen a few turbine interchanges built in the country, and  always in urban areas. Seeing one built out here in the middle of nowhere will certainly be interesting. It's basically like building a 4-level stack, just spread out.

[Bobby5280]

They're planning a full turbine interchange at SH-71, which seems a bit... overboard. But who knows.

If they end up building a turbine interchange at that location as opposed to a cheaper cloverleaf interchange the design choice will be influenced by the class of people driving through the location. A lot of wealthy people and celebrities live in/near the Bee Cave area. The resorts around Lake Lyndon B. Johnson are also meant for high income visitors and residents. Rich people get a rich people interchange.

I-37 should go all the way to Wichita Falls.  SA to OKC avoiding FW & Austin.

The US-281 corridor from San Antonio to Wichita Falls could just as easily be "I-33." I don't see anywhere else in the country where that designation could be used. I-33 could even consume the leg of I-44 from Wichita Falls to OKC. I'd rather see I-44 extended farther Southwest to Abilene and even San Angelo. But that portion of US-277 may only at best be a mix of four lane highway with some limited access segments.

[The Ghostbuster]

Interstate 135 in Kansas could easily have been numbered Interstate 33 (after all, it was Interstate 35W until 1976). The only problem with that would be that Interstate 235 would have to be renumbered (Interstate 233 maybe).