The San Antonio area is getting $147 million of the transportation money Texas voters approved when they passed Proposition 1 last November. Statewide about $1.7 billion is being distributed this fiscal year.
Leroy Alloway of the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) said there are restrictions for how the money can be spent.
“It has to be used on a roadway that’s on the state highway system. It can’t be used for any toll projects. And there’s a strong desire to get projects underway as quickly as possible.”
Alloway says the MPO has approved spending $124 million of the money on three area projects.
The biggest one is on the west side of San Antonio where Loop 410 near Texas 151 will be widened and connecting ramps will be built.
Near Lackland Air Force Base, frontage roads and ramps on U.S. 90 will be improved from Loop 1604 to Loop 410.
On Interstate 10, between San Antonio and Boerne, an area north of Ralph Fair Road will be widened. Frontage roads with sometimes dangerous, two-lane traffic will become one-way.
“From a safety standpoint, being able to have that one-way operation so traffic has an expectation that everyone’s going in the same direction makes a big difference,” Alloway explained.
A public hearing must still be held, but Alloway expects construction to begin on the projects near the end of the year.
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