SAN ANTONIO — You can expect more lanes on your commute if you travel on Interstate 35, but you'll have to wait a few years to use them.
The newest TxDOT construction project comes with a $700 million price tag and is called the I-35 NEX (Northeast Expansion) South Project. It will cover four miles new and improved roadways.
Texas Transportation Commission Chairman J. Bruce Bugg Jr said the project began Tuesday with work on Phase 1. Texas Clear Lanes, a $75 billion program, focuses on congestion relief in five major metropolitan areas: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.
“Help is on the way,” he said. “The roads in rural Texas are so important, but we know that in the metropolitan areas (is) where all the growth is going.”
Three new elevated lanes, including two main lanes and one HOV lane in each direction, will be limited to Interstate 35, the Loop 410 South interchange to Interstate 35, and the Loop 410 North interchange along Interstate 35.
The Interstate 35 elevated lanes will provide a direct connection to Loop 410 South at the Interstate 35/Loops 410 south interchange.
With this being the second Interstate 35 NEX project, two years after the first one began, some residents may feel frustrated by a lot of construction seemingly happening at one time.
Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, Texas state representative for House District 120, says the best way to fix the roads is not little by little.
“I get it," Gervin-Hawkins said. "But the reality is, we’ve gotta hit all arteries to be able to disperse traffic so we don’t get congested in one area.”
This second Interstate 35 NEX Project is expected to be completed by 2028.
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