SAN ANTONIO — Drivers, prepare for the gridlock monster — this weekend U.S. 281 near the San Antonio International Airport will be shut down for construction on the new section of Wurzbach Parkway.
Starting Friday night through early Monday, construction crews will close all of the main lanes of U.S. 281 between Nakoma Drive and Bitters Road.
That's right — northbound and southbound.
There's more. Crews will also shut down the northbound frontage road between Nakoma and Bitters.
The only active road in that area will be the southbound frontage road.
“It'll be total closure,” said Josh Donat, TxDOT San Antonio spokesman. “This is the granddaddy. This is the biggest (closure) I think I've seen in three years in the San Antonio area.”
Crews must close the lanes so they can hang massive bridge support beams for an overpass across U.S. 281, part of the Wurzbach Parkway construction.
The parkway has been in the works for years, opening in small sections. Two are still under construction: between Jones Maltsberger and Wetmore roads, which should be done by the fall, and the final piece, from West Avenue to Jones Maltsberger, which includes the overpass at U.S. 281.
Donat said that last section of the parkway should be open by mid-2015.
But to get there, drivers will have to experience some pain first.
Here's some more details on this weekend's closure:
At 7 p.m. Friday, crews will close the left lane of northbound U.S. 281 from Loop 410 to Nakoma, so trucks hauling the large support beams can get ready before the main shutdown begins. A massive crane will be assembled on site, in a creek bed on the northbound side of U.S. 281.
Bridge builders will then shut down the northbound main lanes and the frontage road very late Friday night.
They will close the southbound main lanes at 4 a.m. Saturday.
There is a chance that the contractor, Williams Brothers Construction, could finish “much sooner than Monday morning” but weather could slow down the work, Donat said.
“We're using a crane” for construction, Donat said. “Lightning and cranes don't mix.”
As for detours, southbound drivers will have to exit at Bitters and reenter the highway past Nakoma.
Northbound drivers will have to exit Nakoma and follow a posted detour that will take them down Nakoma, Jones Maltsberger and Bitters.
Police officers will be posted at various intersections to help direct traffic.
However, Donat warns traffic volumes on the detours will be very large so if drivers can find a way to avoid the area entirely, they should do it.
“This is going to be a gigantic closure, and it's going to impact traffic all over 281,” Donat said. “It will probably impact traffic on 410 and on 1604, and we anticipate it will impact traffic on I-10 and I-35 as people look for alternative north-south options.”
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