Wurzbach Parkway

Infobox TX State Highway
type=
shields=
name=Wurzbach Parkway
maint=TxDOT

---

length_mi=
length_round=
length_ref=
formed=
dir1=West
dir2=East
from=Lockhill-Selma Road in San Antonio
junction=
to=O'Connor Road in San Antonio

Wurzbach Parkway is a part freeway and part major arterial road in San Antonio, Texas built to provide relief on Interstate 410 and Loop 1604 on the city's northside. The highway is named for Harry M. Wurzbach, a U.S. Congressman from San Antonio, whose name was first applied to the connecting Wurzbach Road. The highway is in different stages of completion with the eastern third built as a freeway and the western section as an expressway with at-grade intersections. Currently there is a gap in the highway, but there are plans to connect the two segments with an interchange with U.S. Highway 281. [Alamo Regional Mobility Authority - [http://www.alamorma.org/WurzbachPkwy.html Wurzbach Parkway Corridor] ] The highway, along with part of Wurzbach Road near the Ingram Park Mall, is maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation despite not carrying a state highway designation. Rather, it is being developed and maintained under the Principal Arterial Street System (PASS) program.Texas Department of Transportation - [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/pa/pa1502.htm Highway Designation File: Principal Arterial State System No. 1502] ] Texas Department of Transportation, [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/services/transportation_planning_and_programming/glossary.htm Highway Designations Glossary] , accessed September 2007] ] The parkway does not connect to any other freeways, but drivers can access I-10, US 281, and I-35 via local roads that extend the parkway.

Route description

The west portion of the parkway is a limited-access surface road that connects Lockhill-Selma Road with Blanco Road (FM 2696), crossing Military Highway (FM 1535) at-grade. Wurzbach Road continues southwest from Lockhill-Selma Road, crossing I-10 at exit 561. To the east, a second section, built as a freeway, begins at Starcrest Drive (which continues northwest towards US 281) and Wetmore Road, on the northeast side of the San Antonio International Airport, and heads east beyond Thousand Oaks Drive. At the east end are several at-grade intersections before the parkway ends at O'Connor Road and Crosswinds Way; O'Connor Road leads southeast to I-35 at exit 169.Google Maps street maps and satellite imagery, accessed September 2007]

History

Planners conceived the parkway in the mid-1980s as the East-West Parkway, an extension of the existing Wurzbach Road, to relieve traffic on I-410. The road, estimated to cost $90 million, [Dave Pasley, San Antonio Express-News, [http://www.mysanantonio.com/columnists/stories/MYSA122105.02O.pasleycomment.941b692.html S.A. needs more roads, not toll booths] , December 21, 2005] was approved by the Texas Transportation Commission in 1988, to be built by the state but funded in part by the city. [Jim Wood, San Antonio Express-News, Wurzbach Parkway work seen in '94 $95 million project to relieve traffic congestion, April 4, 1993, p. 1B] Construction began in mid-1994 on the section between Wetmore Road and Nacogdoches Road, [Jim Wood, San Antonio Express-News, State to grant road contract soon - East-West Parkway to extend Starcrest, July 5, 1994, p. 9A] and the eastern portion of the roadway opened on August 26, 1999, allowing traffic to bypass I-410. [Scott Huddleston, San Antonio Express-News, Parkway section to open: Six years, millions needed to complete, August 26, 1999, p. 1B] The west section was opened on July 24, 2002, [Patrick Driscoll, San Antonio Express-News, Wurzbach Parkway's newest stretch opens, July 25, 2002, p. 8B] but work has yet to begin on the connection between these two portions.

Future

The Alamo Regional Mobility Authority (RMA) is currently conducting a supplemental environmental assessment on the entire corridor from Lockhill-Selma Road to I-35, emphasizing the segment that has not been constructed. The EA will supplement the EA completed several years ago prior to initial construction. [Alamo Regional Mobility Authority, [http://www.alamorma.org/documents/Wurzbach%20Parkway%20Documents/Community%20Open%20House%20Jan%2025%202007/WurzbachFactSheet_012507.pdf Wurzbach Parkway Project] ] The Alamo RMA is currently considering three alternatives for the interchange with US 281. The first alterative is a Wurzbach Parkway bridge over US 281 with no direct connection between the two highways, but with access via the two highway's frontage roads. [Alamo Regional Mobility Authority, [http://www.alamorma.org/documents/Wurzbach%20Parkway%20Documents/Community%20Open%20House%20Jan%2025%202007/Wurzbach%20Bridge%20over%20US%20281.jpgWurzbach Parkway Bridge over US 281 (two levels)] ] The second option includes an elevated roundabout interchange, that will provide direct access between the highways. [Alamo Regional Mobility Authority, [http://www.alamorma.org/documents/Wurzbach%20Parkway%20Documents/Community%20Open%20House%20Jan%2025%202007/Elevated%20roundabout%20interchange.jpgElevated roundabout interchange (three levels)] ] The final alternative involves main lane to main lane connector ramps from Wurzbach Parkway to US 281 and loop ramps for access from US 281 to Wurzbach Parkway. [Alamo Regional Mobility Authority, [http://www.alamorma.org/documents/Wurzbach%20Parkway%20Documents/Community%20Open%20House%20Jan%2025%202007/Main%20Lane%20to%20Main%20Lane%20Connectors.jpgMain lane to main lane connectors with loop ramps (three levels)] ]

Exit list

References